Closest Friend I've Got
by thatwritermadeofpotatoes
Summary: Hamilton and Laurens are hard at work, writing essays on slavery. But what happens when Alexander notices his closest friend is seemingly hiding something? Lams, a multi-chapter fic. Other pairings included. T for kissing, swearing, angst, gore.
1. May I Confess?

"You've gotta stop doing that."

John jumped at the sudden voice of his friend, Alexander. They had been silently writing for almost four hours now, the sun gradually erasing itself from the darkening sky.

His brows furrowed. "Doing what, Alex?"

Alex peered over his stack of papers, most harboring sassy remarks for Burr, and sighed. It wasn't one of his usual 'Lets-get-this-over-with-I-want-to-go-home' sighs, it was much too soft. The only other time he had given such a quiet sigh was at his wedding. Often, he would be sighing loudly and irritatingly due to morons (cough, Jefferson, cough) he gave at his wedding, when John had asked if he was happy.

" _Yeah, Laurens, I'm happy." He had replied, giving Laurens a boyish grin. He glanced over at Eliza and Hercules dancing together. He let out a soft sigh, "I'm happy. What about you?"_

 _He looked back to Laurens and looked straight into his eyes, brown-speckled chartreuse staring back at him. Laurens gave a slight frown before spreading a wide smile across his freckled features._

" _I'm happy if you're happy, Ham."_

"That thing you're doing with your quill." John broke from the memory, lifting his head to face Alexander. He glanced down at his hand, cringing at the sight of ink splattering across his hand. Had he been twirling the quill around, again? He really couldn't remember, he'd been daydreaming too much to notice. Usually he only did it when he was nervous, but it'd become a habit around Alex. That man just always seemed to make him feel skittish. He brought his eyes back up to Alex, trying to form a response.

"Oh, I, uh, do it when I, uhm, when I'm nervous." He stuttered. Alex raised his eyebrows, looking surprised.

"Nervous? Why would you be nervous?" He started. "John, you're not scared of anything. In fact, I've seen you redefine bravery several times!" He laughed aloud, filling the small room with a symphonic joy. John blinked a few times, forgetting how blunt Alex could be. He slightly shook his head, a grin slowly creeping onto his face. He chuckled as Alex began to sober.

"Really, Laurens, what's got you nervous?" Alex questioned, leaning forward at his desk. He tilted his head at the slight smile on Laurens' face.

"I don't know, the war?" John supplied. He inwardly winced at his own answer, knowing Alex wouldn't believe it was that.

"I don't believe you." Yeah, that was expected. "You're never this nervous when we're on the battlefield." Alex stood up, squinting at Laurens as he walked around his desk towards the other man. "Alex, what are you doing?" John muttered as Alexander held his hands behind him as he scrutinized his friend.

"Trying to read your mind." Alex whispered, inching closer to John. All at once, his eyes widened, he straightened up, and he dramatically gasped.

"Oh, my god. You're in love." He pointed his right index finger at me in accusation. I dropped my quill in shock. How could he tell? Was I that obvious? Was I not hiding it as well as I thought I was? A million thoughts raced through my mind. Did he have an idea of who I was in love with? I did a quick prayer, praying that Hamilton was more oblivious than he seemed.

I steadily raised my head, not high enough to meet Alexander's eye, but enough to not look like a coward. His face scrunched up for a moment, no doubt thinking of who my secret crush could be. I swear to God a lightbulb went off over him, and he got the proudest look slapped on his handsome face.

"I know who you love." He announced, dragging on the word _love._ He crossed his arms and smirked, raising his chin higher than before.

 _Oh, no._ He couldn't, could he? Had he figured it out or was he bluffing? Or, just maybe, he knew it was him. No, stop it, John, that's ridiculous. If he knew who it was, he'd probably never bring it up and live a happy life with Eliza. I snapped back to reality when I heard Alexander speak.

"Is it Peggy?" He had this stupid grin across his chapped lips. "I saw you dancing with her at my wedding, don't think I didn't see the looks you gave each other."

Deep breath, John, he doesn't know. I shook my head, standing up in the process.

"No, Alex, it isn't Peggy." I answered. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "I don't like her like that, or any woman like that, really." His deep brown eyes searched mine, hoping for more information.

"What do you mean, 'any woman like that'?" He asked. "Peggy's smart and she comes from an amazing family, what's not to like?"

It was starting to get harder and harder to breath. I was having an internal battle on whether to divulge my deepest secret or not. Alexander was a close friend, the closest friend I've got, to be honest.

But, I have no right to his heart.

He had gotten closer to me while I had submerged myself in my thoughts. He was now leaning his back against my wooden desk, armed with a deep frown. At least he wasn't looking at me with those piercing eyes, always full of questions. Though now, he was kind of glaring at the oil painting of the Chesapeake Bay. He kept creasing his forehead, something he did a lot when he was thinking of arguments against slavery. He suddenly slumped against the desk, pouting like a small child. He rolled his head to the right, facing me once again.

"John Laurens, if you don't give me more information right now," He warned. "I will write to Washington and tell him you're withholding very important information."

My eyes became saucers, my lips parting in shock. He would bring Washington into a personal matter? Oh, wait a minute, this is Alexander Hamilton, of course he would.

I pushed my chair back and turned around, mirroring Alex's position. I held my head high, staring him right in the eye. _Deep breath, John, you got this._

"Alex, can I confide in you?" I whispered, my hopes of sounding confident dashed by his puppy-dog look. He furiously nodded, "Of course." He declared.

My eyes fluttered shut. My heart began to speed. My palms sweat as they gripped the cool surface of the table. I heard him slide closer, and felt his warm hand press onto my left shoulder. I swallowed my fears, all the doubts that have kept me from telling him.

"It's _you_ , Alex." I mumbled, screwing my eyes tighter.

 **A/N: Howdy hey, folks! Thanks for reading and please, please, please leave a review! I'd love to hear what you want to see in the next chapter or if there's a prompt you want me to try on Lams:D Also, if they seem out of character, y'all can totally tell me and I'll try to fix it. I'm not very good at characterizing so any feedback is much appreciated!**


	2. Dancing With Confusion

"It's _you_ , Alex." I mumbled, screwing my eyes tighter.

His grip on my shoulder loosened, and I heard him take a step back. I wanted to open my eyes and face him. Tell him it was a stupid crush, tell him I know he's in love with Eliza. In love with a woman.

Tell him I'd leave and never bother him again, if he asked me to.

But I couldn't. I couldn't open my eyes. I couldn't tell him all those things. My tongue had become a heavy weight in my mouth. My heart, a sopping wet towel in my chest.

I heard him swallow, a loud gulp in the quiet office. I heard him lick his lips, probably contemplating escaping while my eyes were still closed.

"You...uhm...love.." He began. "...me?" It came out in a whisper, almost like he was talking to himself.

My eyes had snapped open at the sound of his voice, and they were now roaming the ceiling. I ran a hand through my hair, undoing the band that held it back. _Deep breath, John, you can do this._

I stood straight, pushing away from the desk. I took a deep breath and raised my head. His mouth was agape, his eyes were wide and darting around my face. _He always looked so handsome when he was flustered. Wait, no, stop it, you should apologize and leave him alone to his happy, straight life._

"I…I'm sorry, Alexander." I whispered back. "I shouldn't have said that, but I just… you were pushing for an answer and I completely… went for it." I wanted desperately to slam my eyes shut, to not have to glance up and see his muddled brown orbs. But, I'm no coward… right? No, right now, it seems the only thing I'm good for now would be shutting the door behind me as I leave.

He shut his mouth, only for his lips to part again in aftershock. He kept pulling his eyebrows down, probably attempting to formulate an appropriate let down, with no result. Softly shaking my head, I accepted my fate as his former friend. I gradually moved one foot in front of the other, reluctantly making my way to the office door. I could hear his breathing become shallow, and could practically hear his heart thundering in his chest. _Wait, don't leave. What if he ends up having a heart attack because of all the stress you've caused him? All the pain you just caused, could cause his early death. You're a coward, leading a man to death with words and then abandoning him._

"John…"

I froze mid-step, hand hovering over the bronze doorknob. Soft footfalls made their way in my direction. Once again, a warm hand was placed on my left shoulder, turning me towards him. My right hand fell from its suspended place near the doorknob, hanging limply at my side. _Lift your eyes, John, look at him._

My sight drifted from the floorboards, easing towards Alexander.

He cleared his throat, boring his brown eyes into mine.

"Eliza and I… we're getting a divorce." He sighed. "She is in love with another man, one we know quite well." He swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing with the motion.

 _What? They're divorcing?! How the hell could I not have known that before?! I was his best friend goddammit!_

"What? When… when did you decide that?" I opted to say instead of my foul thoughts. He sighed again, running a hand through his medium-length black hair.

"Actually, the night after our wedding day." He sheepishly grinned. "Before bed, Eliza came up to me and said she had met someone the night before. Also, that she was incredibly sorry, but you know, my mind stopped registering what she was saying after the whole 'I accidentally fell in love with one of your fellow soldiers and he wants to run away with me' talk."

My jaw dropped, realizing just who Eliza had danced with all night.

"Hercules?"

"Yeah." He confirmed.

 _Oh, man. I knew that Herc had a lot of fun at the wedding, but I thought he was just in good spirits because of him being the flower girl and all. Now, thinking back to that night, he did steal a lot of glances at Eliza. He cut into her and Angelica's dance, too, and he and Eliza danced together pretty much the entire night… Jesus, Hercules, really? Your friend's WIFE?!_

 _Well, at least he didn't fall for anything other than a human._

 _Eliza had always wanted Alexander to take a break from writing, which was basically his life. That was the one request from her that he could never satisfy._

"I'm sorry." I offered. "I know how much you liked her." I couldn't stop fidgeting. Why had he told me all that? Why not just let me leave?

"It's okay, I think it was more of a… forced kind of thing, you know?" He shrugged. "We didn't really connect that much."

"Oh." My eyes meandered around the candle-lit room. "I… uhm, have some work to finish up tomorrow. I should get back and get some rest." I rubbed my shoulder with my sweaty palm. God, this is awkward.

Alexander's eyebrows shot up. "Are you leaving? Tonight?" Was that… panic in his eyes? Filling his face?

"Oh, uh, no…not tonight." I assured. "I'm not going back to South Carolina for a couple more weeks, I actually meant my room. I'm going back to my room… to rest."

"Right, right, your room." Alexander nodded. "I… hope that you have a good night's sleep, John." He scratched his head, fiddling with a lock of his dark hair. A small smile flittered across my face.

"You, too, Alex." _I'm sorry I professed my undying love for you, goodnight._ "I'll see you at daybreak."

He gave a short nod, acknowledging the fact that they'd be working on their slavery essays in the morning. There was much work to be done, there was no time to stop due to unexpected declarations of love.

I lowered my hand towards the doorknob once again. Grasping the cool, bronze surface, I opened the door and mumbled a 'goodnight'. I stumbled into the hallway, filling my head with the tension-free air. I had swung the door close behind me, leaning back onto it for support. _Oh, my God. Did that all just go down? Did I really tell Alexander that I was inimitably enamored with him? Did he really tell me he was divorcing Eliza? Did I just…._

 _Did I just blow the closest friendship I've ever had, for a shot at love? Did I just throw away my shot?_

I pushed myself off the worn door, shrugging any lingering questions. I quietly shuffled down the hall, stopping at my bedroom door. _The bedroom that Alex is letting me stay in while we write out arguments, not love letters. The bedroom that is right across from his bedroom._

" _In case either of us think of any new angles for the fight against slavery," He'd explained. "that way we can tell the other faster."_

I rubbed my shut eyes, the weariness hitting me all at once. My bones ached, my eyes burned, my head felt heavy. I pressed my forehead against the chilly wood of my door, trying to find the knob without opening my eyes. _There, now open it, okay, don't pass out in the corridor, John._

I wandered across the dim room, the candle in the window casting shadows across the aged floor. I vaguely remember pulling my boots off, my clothes not too far behind. Somehow, I missed blowing out the candle and groggily closing the drapes.

Suddenly, I was in bed contemplating my earlier conversation with Alexander. I'll have to think on it more tomorrow, when I'm not painstakingly drained. For now, sleep was all that I could bear in mind. Save for one Caribbean, that is.

 _Goodnight, Alex._

 ** _A/N: Good lordy lou that took forever to write. Alright, folks, I'm kinda starting to lean towards making this a multi-chapter, and completely abandoning the plan to only have one or two chapters. I'd just like to know if people are actually liking it and want to see where it goes. If I do go on, I'd probably bring in Eliza and Hercules, and get Alex and John together, if that interests you guys? Again, thank you for reading and please, please leave a review! They are the best cure for my writer's block:)_**


	3. A Touch of Lips

**A/N: Ahh the smell of a new update, fresh off the press! This took me foreVER TO WRITE OH MY GOD! I kept having writer's block and then I had to do all these errands today, ugh I can't even believe I actually made it to publishing. Okay, so we FINALLY have some Lams in this one, I'm so sorry I took so long, I hope you guys still want to read it:) Even if I did the previous chapters sooo slowly and we haven't had any good Lams moments:( Alright, on with the story!**

Sunlight poured through the thin curtains draped over the window. I cracked an eye open, golden light filling my sight.

"Didn't I close those last night?" I muttered.

"Yes, you did." The opened drapes answered. _Wait, what?_

I whipped my head around the room, seeking the source of the voice. A bleary figure, shaped almost like a dress, was leaning against the closed bedroom door. Squinting, I realized it was Eliza, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Laurens." She greeted. Afternoon? I slept in? Oh, Christ, Alexander's going to be pissed.

"Mrs. Hamilton." I tipped my head, wrapping the blanket around me to preserve some dignity. I quickly rose from the bed, the sheets surrounding me like a cocoon. She raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Are you not dressed, Mr. Laurens?" She questioned.

"Are you not a close friend, Mrs. Hamilton?" I shot back, annoyed with her formalities. She laughed, lifting her hands in surrender.

"Sorry, John, Alexander insists on formalities when we have guests over." She explained with a chuckle. We both sighed, meeting the other's eyes at the unintended imitation. With raised brows, we looked on another over.

"What are you sighing about, Liza?" I inquired. She shook her head, dusting invisible dirt off her pale blue gown.

"My husband." She started. "Or, rather, my former husband. We signed the papers this morning."

She stared at me, with curious eyes and a suspiciously knowing grin.

"What are you sighing about?" She crossed her arms, becoming the mirror image of Angelica's favorite stance.

I gave a shrug, "My nonexistent love life." Her face went blank.

"Nonexistent? What are you on about, John?" Her eyes had widened. "Haven't you talked to Alexander?"

I fidgeted under her gaze. "Um, yeah, I talked to him last night and, uh…It didn't go too well."

She crossed the room, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Didn't go too well? That's rather vague." She lifted a hand to my shoulder. "Did he not tell you about his female friend, Maria something? She broke it off with her husband, and Alex thought you could cheer her up with a date."

 _Oh, my God, Alex was going to set me up with a date? But he never said anything! We worked for a couple hours, ate, worked for a couple hours, ate, worked a few more hours, and then I blurted out my stupid feelings. Not once over the course of the day did he bring up a "female friend, Maria". Though, I probably would have said no, so no use thinking about it now._

"No, no… he never said anything." I said to her. She gave a slight nod.

"Well, there's been a lot going on, he most likely forgot." She whispered, fiddling with her hair. "Did he, uhm…" She broke off.

"Did he what?"

I saw her take a deep breath. "Did he tell you why we're… why we got a divorce?"

"Yes. Hercules is a good man, I hope you guys are happy." I sincerely told her.

She nodded, swallowing. "Am I a bad person? For not staying true to him?"

I laughed, really laughed, at her question. Does she not understand that Alexander just wants her to be happy? Even if it's with another man? Instead of answering her, I sat down next to her. I wrapped my arms around her, releasing my blankets onto the floor. She tucked her head into the crook of my neck, quietly giggling. Eventually, lighthearted laughter turned to comfortable silence. At some point during our giggle session, I had rested my head on-top of hers. We had gotten closer over the course of my friendship with Alexander, gossiping about our friends through hundreds of letters. It turns out we both have a knack for falling in love with people we can't have. After a moment, she spoke.

"Do you miss the days where it was just you and him?"

Me and him? Just me and Alexander, starving in brisk winds, dodging bullets and battles? _Yes._

"Yes. Not the starving, or the bloody fights with blood-hungry revolutionaries," I assured. "but the days where we would speak of our futures, how we would go as far as we could to live in peace again. To let our loved ones live in peace again."

She nodded into my neck, "I miss our honeymoon, even though he wrote most of the time like there was no time to write _after_ our honeymoon." She confessed.

 _Wow, Alex, not even a young, intelligent woman can drag you from your writings._

"Yeah, he really does write like he's running out of time."

"He makes it seem like his life blood," She agreed. "He writes like he needs it to survive."

We both _harrumphed,_ thinking of all the times Alex canceled plans with one of us because he'd _have to finish this piece quick, I'll just be a moment._

"John?" Her voice was muffled from my nightshirt. I hummed in response.

"I'm going to fall asleep now," She announced. "please, don't wake me up."

Grinning, I whispered an _okay_ into her hair. She would always fall asleep in the oddest places. I found her once in the garden, curled up next to the carnations, her favorites. A soft snore woke me from my memories.

My eyes roamed from her straight black hair to the door, which was cracked open a bit. Cracked open? Didn't Eliza close that when she came in earlier? The scuff of a shoe outside the door alerted me to an eavesdropper. _It's probably a messenger, those bastards just mosey into anybody's house at any time._

I gently lifted Eliza's head off my shoulder and laid her down on my pillow. Standing, I lifted her feet onto the bed, covering her with my blanket before turning towards the door. I debated crossing the room and popping out, just to scare the shit out of some young boy. Then again, that'd probably wake Eliza, which would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. I settled on just furiously whispering for him to come into the room and give me whatever message he brought.

"I can hear your shoes, boy," I stage whispered. "Get in here and tell me what you need to say."

More scuffing noise, as if the person were pacing. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, wanting to get this over with. I soundlessly strode the length of the room, pushing the door open fully with my bare foot. I halted in surprise, coming face-to-face with Alexander. He looked just as surprised as me, glancing past me at the figure lying in my bed. He looked back at me, staring into my eyes with interest.

"How long have you been standing there?" I whispered. He parted his lips, only to purse them shut.

"How long, Alexander?" I pressed.

"Longer than you'd like." He mumbled, head down. He was drawing little circles on the floor with his foot, a habit he picked up from Lafayette.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you had her over." He muttered, dragging his eyes down to his feet. "I can come back later…"

I softly chuckled at his nervousness, "It's fine, Eliza just wanted to talk. We talked for a bit and she ended up falling asleep."

Realization fell upon his face.

"Oh, I forgot you guys are so close…" He rubbed the back of his neck, displacing his loose hair. "I just, uhm… I wanted to talk to you. In private."

I raised my eyebrows. In private? I don't think I can handle being in such an awkward position like last time. But, if he wants to talk to me, that means he doesn't completely resent me, right? Or… he wants me to leave his home. He wants me to go back to South Carolina. Oh, Goddamn you, conscience.

"Do you want to go to your office?" I inquired. He nodded.

The walk to his office was short and silent. It was at the end of the hall, two or three doors down from our rooms. I say two or three because I was too focused on his a… _for God's sake, man, don't finish that sentence._

We stepped into the large room, stopping briefly as I quietly shut the door behind me. He took a spot behind the oak desk, settling into his chair. I edged my way over to the opposite side, lowering myself into the other chair. He cleared his throat, straightening his back in the process.

"Laurens... uh, John." He began. "I'd like to speak to you about yesterday."

Oh, kill me now. He was going to try to have a "feelings" talk in a professional, business-y way? No, no way, he's making a mistake. I shook my head and put a hand up to stop him from going any further.

"Alexander, no." I interrupted. "If we're going to do this, we might as well do it in the touchy-feely way, not the stoic, I-don't-have-feelings way."

His bright brown eyes gazed at me, his mouth partly open. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment.

"You're right, John." He tucked a stray hair behind his ear. "We've known each-other for years, we can have a simple conversation without acting as serious co-workers." He sighed.

"John, I have to admit, yesterday was… unexpected."

I bobbed my head in agreement. "Yeah, I'm sorry for that... whole thing, I guess I've been holding it back for so long, that it just… bubbled over."

"John, I've known you for a while now," Alex began. "and when you know someone for that long, you learn little things about them, things that are so simple they don't mean much to other people. But, to me... they're important. Like, how you saw a turtle in that brook that we were camped near in Philadelphia and ended up naming it after Washington? You were so happy to have a friend who couldn't talk back…" He chuckled at the memory.

I remember that day well. Hamilton and Hercules had been arguing about who would get the flatter, drier ground for their tent. I had come up and suggested that they just share a tent, that way they're both comfortable. They had turned on me, yelling about their personal space and how they couldn't possibly share a tent without killing each other. Their voices rose, and soon enough they were shouting at me about how if that was such a good idea, then why don't I share a tent with one of the other soldiers and see how fun it is then? I had gotten so flustered, I ran away—literally, ran away—and found a little brook and ended up sitting there until they cooled down. Washington jr. had been stuck under a small pile of rocks at the edge of the water, trying to push himself to safety. I had rescued him and placed him on the muddy water's edge. He apparently had no intention of leaving me, as he crawled back towards me and situated himself on my foot.

"We were entirely inseparable, until the very end." I sobered. Alexander stopped chuckling.

"He was a good man…turtle, man-turtle." He commented. He was a good turtle, living with me for a few days, until one of the soldiers had gotten sick of having stale bread and slimy water. Washington jr. was murdered in cold blood, all for a pot of stew.

I glanced at Alexander. He was so scruffy-looking, his hair was falling loose over his slender shoulders. It looked like he hadn't shaved in weeks, stubble peppered his unusually haggard face. He coughed, because it was too quiet in here or he was sick, I couldn't tell.

"As I was saying, I know a lot of odd facts about you." He continued. "And I'm sure you know a fair amount about me, too."

"Mhm, like how you wore a dress once to get free drinks in a bar?" I smirked. His face went red.

"I forgot I told you about that…" He stuttered. "An..anyways, we're close, okay?"

I slowly nodded, "Yes, we are. What's your point?"

"Well, over time, people… develop certain feelings for other…people who…" He stammered. "they are in close quarters with and, uh… have close friendships with."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Was he trying to explain how I got my feelings for him, to me? Really?

"They might, if they enjoy being around that person that much." I added. His gaze darted around my face for a moment, only to revert to the ground.

"John, I am trying to tell you…" I leaned closer. He took a gulp of air. "that I…have developed feelings, as you have, uhm... for you."

My jaw dropped. Complete and utter silence suffocated the room. I couldn't breathe, either due to that or the fact that my closest friend, my main man, my long-term crush… had just admitted to liking me.

My mind stopped working; I couldn't move at all. I couldn't think at all. I'm sure I looked like an idiot, but screw off, he just told me he likes me! Would it be weird to hug him? _Of course it would, stop being such a simpleton, John._

Oh, my God, he had inched closer while I was frozen. He was less than a foot away from me, so close I could feel his warm breath on my face. His eyes were roaming my face again, but this time he seemed focused on my lips. _Good Lord, is he thinking what I think he's thinking?_

He stepped forward, a hair's breadth away now. My breath caught in my throat, I felt my ears heat up. He steadily raised his hand, cupping my face, while his other one wrapped around my waist. He pulled me flush against him, heat radiating from both of us. He swallowed, licking his lips, while his eyes slowed to a stop at my eyes.

His bright brown eyes had darkened, almost black now. He was so astonishingly close, I could see little freckles dotting his nose. He had stopped advancing, seemingly mesmerized by my face.

"You have so many freckles, John." He murmured. "I've never seen them this close before."

My body ached with anticipation, adrenaline rushing through me.

"I… I want to kiss you." He whispered. I smiled widely, _I never thought I'd hear him utter those words to me._

"I want to kiss you, too," I mumbled. My voice was so raspy, I didn't even recognize myself. He grinned, wrapping his hand around the back of my head. He leaned in, fluttering his dimmed eyes shut. I swallowed, tilting my head to meet him.

Our lips met in a slow-motion wave. I know it sounds cliché, but I swear on my mother's grave, explosions went off when we kissed. Everything around us melted away, until it was just us standing together in the tangible bliss. His hand writhed around in my curls, tugging on tendrils when I pressed my lips against his. I had grasped onto the front of his shirt, unknowingly undoing the top button.

I bit his lower lip, teasing him, before pulling back. His eyes stayed closed for a moment, before registering the loss of warmth and opening them again. We stared into each other's eyes, lost in the remaining euphoria of the kiss. I slightly shook my head, _I had pulled away for a reason, what was the reason?_

Oh, right. "Alex, we can't. Not here, not while your ex-wife is a few rooms down." I pressed my forehead against his, feeling the sweat lining his eyebrows. He gave a small nod, loosening his grip on my hair.

"Sorry, I… I got kind of carried away," _My, God, he looked like a teenager who just had his first kiss._ "You're right, we should stop."

He tilted his head up, planting a kiss in the center of my forehead. _Jesus, he's sappy._

I love it.

"We should finish up some work today, I've got some new ideas I wanted to share with you." He smiled, taking a step back from me. He stood with confidence, standing taller and smugger than I've ever seen. Hell, He could probably beat out Jefferson's smug grin with that stance.

I bit my lip, glancing over to my desk, filled with half-assed papers from yesterday's writing session. I nodded, walking over and falling into my chair.

"Yeah, I should look these over again, I'm sure they're not very… good." I agreed. I picked up a pencil that was hidden under some other papers and got to work. Not hearing Alexander's pen, I glanced up.

There he was, leaning his back against his desk, arms crossed, grin in place. He hadn't made any move to sit down at his table. I squinted at him.

"What?" I asked, noticing he was watching me work. He shook his head and chuckled.

"You've gotta stop doing that."

My head tilted, wondering what he meant.

"Doing things that make me want to kiss you." He answered my unspoken question. "You're pretty damn attractive when you get down to business."

I grinned so hard the rest of the day, my mouth is stuck in permanent happy mode.

 **A/N: Please, please leave a review! They give me so much motivation, it's kinda depressing how dependent I am on reviews if I'm being honest but seriously thEY MAKE ME SOO HAPPY!:D**


	4. A Muffin?

**A/N: WOOOO FINALLY FINISHED! Good lordy-lou you guys, school is insane right now, I have had zero time to finish this, but I finally did it! I hope you guys don't hate me too much for taking forever, and that you enjoy this one:) I think it's a bit shorter than the previous chapter, but I wanted to end it there. Okay, I'm gonna thank some reviewers reeaaalll quick and then on to the story!**

 **msbunnykittenz- AHH I'm so glad you think so! Thank you so much, I'm really trying to keep their personalities consistent. Omg, I love when people point out the song refs, they're scattered through-out this fic because I listen to the soundtrack while I write:3**

 **Moonlight D- OMG I'M YOUR GO-TO LAMS FIC?! THANK YOU! :D**

 **A random person- I, too, screamed when they kissed xD**

 **Lil'Chaos- Aw, thank you! :)**

I didn't manage to fall asleep at all last night, due to a certain freckled Caribbean frequenting my thoughts. I tried to stop thinking about his messy ebony hair, and the way his eyes twinkled after he kissed me. I really tried, I swear. But he's not very forgettable, and neither are his soft, gentle hands, wandering over my hair and waist…

Wow, I just realized how dry my mouth is. I guess spicy Caribbean's do that to you, huh? _Oh, my God, stop it, push those thoughts away. You're still in a guest in this home, guests don't have dirty thoughts about their hosts._

 _Unless your host practically throws himself onto you, pulling you into a passionate kiss._

"I need to get a hobby." I muttered, throwing aside my blankets and standing. When Alex and I had parted after writing late into the evening, I had gone back to my room.

Sometime during my absence, Eliza had woken and moved herself back to her room. Upon entering my room, I noticed she had made the bed and lit a candle for me, leaving it on my nightstand. The flickering light outlined a note, pressed under the candlestick holder.

 _John,_

 _I apologize for my tiredness, I did not mean to steal your bed from you. I have been haunted by visions of my former lover, dueling my current lover. I know, I know, I should cease worrying. Alexander is a smart man, on occasion, and will continue to respect my choice. I have not heard from Hercules in four days, which has brought a new bout of worry to my mind. But, I digress._

 _I will try hard to not fall asleep in your room again, though it is difficult when you're an amazing listener and have incredibly soft shoulders._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Eliza_

She was, not a doubt in my mind, going to apologize again this morning when I see her. She would always apologize too much; whether it was for Alexander missing a meeting with her father, or she didn't put a fresh flower in the kitchen vase.

Moseying over to the medium dresser in the corner, I began to dress for the day. I usually just wear a white dress shirt under my vest, white pants, and my black tall boots, but today was different. I couldn't decide if I wanted to wear my navy-blue vest instead of my boring white one. _But, why? Because I want to look good for him, that's why. Man, he'll still like you even if you dress in the colors of a peeled potato._

Damn my girlish thoughts. That man will be the end of me, I swear.

After choosing my usual ensemble, _you look fine, John,_ I left my room and headed down the stairs. Halfway down, the smell of muffins made its way into my nose. Excited, yet suspicious since Eliza and Alex don't cook, I jumped off the last step and rushed into the kitchen. Alexander was settled on the floor in front of the oven, sitting cross-legged as he eyed the muffins baking inside. Eliza was nestled in the corner of the room, sitting at the small, circular dining table. She had a small pile of papers strewed around the surface, looking incredibly similar to Alexander at his desk. I lightly whistled, startling each from their focus. Alexander looked up at me with wide eyes, smiling when I gave a small wave. _Why did you wave? He's like two feet from you, you can't just say hi?_

I was too busy watching his big, playful brown eyes light up at the sight of me. _Do I really mean that much to him? Oh, God, I'm probably hardcore blushing right now…_

But, it's okay, because he was flushed as well, and had begun to rub the back of his neck. He giggled, actually _giggled,_ and waved back.

A gagging noise from the other side of the room reminded us that we weren't alone. Eliza, having ceased her writing, was fake gagging. She pointed a finger in our direction, stopping her imaginary throwing up.

"You are disgustingly affectionate and awkward, I can't handle it anymore." She started to shuffle her papers together.

"No, no, wait, you can stay, 'Liza." Alexander offered, rising up from his spot on the floor. She gave him a pointed look, the one that meant "I'm not putting up with this shit, I'm leaving."

That was my personal favorite.

After she exited the room, arms filled with loose pages and quills, Alexander sighed. He signaled _one moment_ to me, before crouching down to take the near-forgotten muffins out. I sauntered towards the small table, taking Eliza's vacant seat. I took a deep breath, savoring the warm smell of the baked goods. Alexander placed the muffin pan on the stove-top, trying to pull Eliza's floral oven mitts off his too-big hands. His face was scrunched up, intently focusing on ripping the mitts off without taking his skin with them. He looked so determined, which looked hilarious considering what he was so determined to do. After shoving his right hand under his left arm, he managed to tear the oven mitt from that one. With triumph filling his features, he removed the other one with his free hand.

"God, that was painful." He breathed, free of his flowery prisons. He turned away from the oven, searching for my eyes. They locked, my small grin disappearing the second I saw the dark bags under his eyes, exhaustion drowning his bright eyes. I sat up straight, turning serious as he ambled towards the table. He dropped down in the chair opposite me, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. I reached across the table, taking his warm hand in mine.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He glanced down at the table, swallowing heavily.

"Eliza hasn't heard from Hercules in five days. Five days, John!" He frantically whispered. "That's incredibly unlike him, especially when it comes to a woman."

I nodded. He was right, Hercules had a lady friend a couple years ago, and he would stay up all night waiting for her letters to arrive. He would get so giddy and immediately reply, writing some sappy shit that Alexander helped him think of.

"Maybe, he's been busy with work?" I suggested. "Or the messengers in Coleraine are just super drunk and slow? You know how the Irish are." He didn't laugh at my jab at Mulligan's people, which was odd considering he loved to make fun of how much Hercules drinks.

"John. I cannot put the notion away that something bad has happened." He whispered back. "I don't want to tell Eliza that, because she's already worried enough, but I think we should do something."

I scooted my chair around the table, stopping when I was right next to Alex. We stared at each other for a moment, trying to think of a plan.

"Why don't we write his brother, Hugh?" Alexander spoke suddenly, stroking his stubble in thought. "I met him a couple years ago, he moved to New York a few years ago."

"That's a good idea. Hopefully, he'll know what's going on with Hercules." I agreed. "You know, it's pretty attractive when you go all detective."

I smirked, watching his face go red.

"I..I need a muffin." He stuttered, rising and heading back to the stove. I leaned back once again, clasping my hands together behind my head. _God, he looks even better from behind._

Instantaneously, that fact that Eliza was all alone upstairs, probably crying about her nonresponsive lover, hit me. I stood, shoving my chair back with the movement. Alexander whipped around at the sudden sound, raising his eyebrows when he saw my determined look.

"John… what are you planning?" He steadily asked, looking mildly concerned.

"Good God, Alex, 'Liza's alone in her time of need!" I rapidly whispered. "She needs someone to hold her, man!"

He looked like he was debating between running upstairs or eating the muffin tightly grasped in his hand.

"I mean, yeah… but, muffin…" He bashfully lowered his head, bringing it back up with puppy eyes aimed at me. "Would you…?"

Glaring, I muttered "Coward" and hurried out of the kitchen.

 **A/N: As always, please read and review! They make me sooo happy, and occasionally give me ideas for the next chapter! :)**


	5. I'm Helpless

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY! This took forever to write, I'm sorry! I haven't had a lot of motivation lately, and depression is tearing me down. I kept trying to get back to this and finish it for you guys but I felt too broken to focus:( But, it's done and I think you'll really like this one! It's a lot longer than the other ones, to make up for how long I took. I hope you really like it! Please, read and review!**

I rushed up the stairs, regretting not asking how she was earlier. How could I miss the quiet sniffling? The fact that she was surrounded by letters when I came down? How could I be such a bad friend?

 _Not now, John, you can self-deprecate later. Right now, 'Liza needs you._

I near-sprinted down the hall, sliding to a stop in front of her shut door. I raised my hand to knock, but froze at the sound of light sobbing. I stepped forward, pressing my ear against the cool wood door. _Oh, she's crying, how do I help with that? Chocolate? Hitting Alexander? Whiskey? Wait, it stopped._

Soft footfalls replaced the sobbing, startling me into straightening up and stepping backwards. The door knob slowly turned, the old door creaking open. Eliza, her hair a mess and her face tear-stained, looked up at me with such sadness in her eyes. She opened the door the rest of the way, clinging onto the doorway for support.

"I'm okay, I jus—"

"No, you're not, Elizabeth." I interrupted. She glanced nervously into the hallway, before ushering me into her room. Shutting the door behind me, she turned around and leaned her back against it.

 _Woah._

Her bedroom floor was covered in papers, hiding the wooden planks underneath the flurry of words. Dozens of crumpled up balls of paper were scattered across her blue-sheeted bed. Her pillows had large, dried stains on the cases, the distance between them making it obvious they were because of tears. Her blankets were thrown off the side of her bed. Quills were lying, broken, on top of her vanity. Almost everything was bloodied with streaks of ink, including several dresses that were haphazardly thrown across the back of the sofa.

"You're judging me." Eliza flatly stated, arms wrapped around herself. I scoffed.

"I judge everyone, it's a hobby of mine." I gave her a small smile, grateful when she returned it.

"Well… stop it." She told me, raising a hand to cover her growing grin. I full out laughed, startling both of us. She could be such a kid sometimes, it was an absolute wonder that she was the adult in the house.

Her smile spread, my boisterous laughter proving to be contagious. Slowly, she began to softly giggle.  
"You're odd, John." She whispered between chuckles. I nodded.

"It's taken you this long to realize?" I retorted. She chuckled once more, then straightened up. Her arms gripped tighter, almost as though she wanted to disappear into herself. Her face sobered, any traces of her previous smile gone. Her eyes flickered across the room, landing on mine with hesitation.

"I… I never told him." She murmured, closing her eyes. I raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she meant. "Never told him… just… let him go…."

"Dearest?" I furrowed my brows at her mutterings, hoping she would respond to my nickname for her. "Are you okay?"

She ran a hand through her loose black hair, eyes still closed. A slight sigh slipped between her lips as she leaned her head back onto the door.

"Eliza?" I tried again. Her head tilted forward the tiniest bit, her mouth trembling.

"I… am under no obligation to make sense to you." She choked, tears revealing themselves as she opened her eyes. She screwed her eyes shut again, her hands flying to her face. She covered her face, curling her hands into fists, while sobs wracked her body. I took a step towards her, filling the small space between us. My hands immediately placed themselves over her smaller ones, gently uncurling them. She let me, and we stood there for a moment, just holding hands. After a few heartbeats, her tears renewed and she choked out a rough sob. I threw my arms around her, pulling her flush against my chest. Her arms snaked around my waist, fists gripping my shirt. I tucked my head onto hers, shushing into her hair.

"It's okay, 'Liza, you're okay." I assured, slowly rocking us. She just sobbed harder, pulling me closer. I turned my head so my lips were nearer to her ear.

"Hear my heartbeat? Focus on that, okay, Eliza?" I murmured, feeling a slight nod against my chest.

Her crying eventually slowed, replaced with occasional sniffles and quiet hiccups.

"I'm sorry…" Her words were muffled. One more sniffle and she pulled away, keeping her arms around my middle. She looked up at me, tears filling her already swollen eyes.

"Why? Why would he not write back?" She breathed, her hiccups ceasing. My mouth parted slightly, unsure as to what I should say.

"I'm not sure. Contrary to popular belief, I don't always know the answer." I winked, trying to lighten the mood. Her mood.

She frowned, "John… I don't know what to do." Her voice cracked, cracking my heart in the process.

"Eliza, I'm honestly not sure either. Alex is going to write Mulligan's brother, maybe we can find out what's been going on through him." I told her, internally praying that Alex had finished his muffins and started on the letter to Hugh. Then again, he may have forgotten about writing, and gotten lost in the deliciousness of the muffins…

A knock rapped against the door, startling us both. I stepped back, pulling Eliza with me. She turned around, keeping a hand in the crook of my arm.

"Come in." She softly called, wiping invisible dirt off her dress. The door creaked open, a crack of light coming in from the lit hallway. Alexander poked his head through, worry etched in his face.

"Eliza? Are you okay?" He asked, slowly inching into the bedroom. She raised her head by a fraction, looking him in the eyes.

"I miss Hercules… but I don't think he misses me." She whispered, Alexanders eyes widening at the vulnerability engraved on her pale face. He pouted, which looked ridiculous on a grown-ass man.

"I'm sorry, you think what?" He raised an eyebrow, dropping his pout and shaping an _o_ with his lips. "Did you say that you don't think Herc misses you?"

She gave a slight nod, bringing a hand to her cheek. Her head dipped down, pink coloring her face.

"I know, Alex, he's incredibly loyal, but…" She began. "He hasn't written me for almost a week now!"

She yelled the last part, making Alex cower back a bit. She continued her tirade.

"The bastard is ignoring me! What if he met someone else?!" She started gesturing wildly. "What if he's off in Ireland with some girl who's better than me!?"

"Eliz-" Alex and I both spoke at the same time, but were interrupted by a clap of thunder. I hadn't even realized it was storming outside. We all jumped at the sudden noise, whipping around to look out the window. Water was pouring out of the heavens; wind was hurtling around the trees, knocking branches off left and right.

A flash of lightening shuddered across the darkening sky. Blinking the pain of the bright light out of my eyes, I glanced over at my friends. Eliza's eyes were saucers, unblinking as they watched the rain pit-patter against the window pane. Alexander was fidgeting; he was always nervous during storms, something about a hurricane when he was a kid.

A crash downstairs woke us all from our thinking. Alex and I shared a look, silently agreeing to check it out together and leave Eliza in the room with something to protect herself with. Just in case.

"Eliza, stay here," Alex instructed. "and grab a candle holder, in case they get past us."

She snickered. "Yeah, like I can't take some guy without a piece of bronze."

We both glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll stay."

Alex smiled at me and I returned it before we opened the door. He went out in front of me, and I pulled the door until I heard the soft _click_. We snuck down the corridor, halting at the top of the stairs. Alex put up a hand, waving me forward. I quietly stepped in front of him, turning so he could tell me the plan. He put a finger to his lips, pointing with his other hand to the front door. Something was knocking on the outside of the door, _thud,_ over and over again.

Alexander looked at me, "What do you think it is?"

I shook my head; it could be anything. It could be a branch that broke off the front lawn tree and gotten stuck on the porch. It could be an animal, trying to get inside a warm place. It could be a drunkard who got lost on his way back from the bar and thought this was his house.

"I don't know, should we open it?" I suggested. He pursed his lips and swallowed heavily.

"Okay, but if it turns out to be a monster," He started. "then I'm leaving you behind and running."

I nodded with a smile, and began to descend the staircase. He stayed about a half a foot behind me, I could feel his warm, shaky breath on the back of my neck. We made it to the bottom, creeping towards the large door. My left hand gently gripped the door knob, my right hand signaling Alex to stay hidden behind me.

I turned the knob slowly, and pulled it open. Lightening flashed across the background at the same time, illuminating the large figure kneeling on the porch. Hand poised to knock once again, the figure froze at the sight of me.

"J..John?"

"Hercules?"


	6. Reunited, My Love

**A/N: YAY I'M STILL ALIVE! So, here is the next chapter, and we finally see Hercules! So sorry this took so long, life keeps gut-punching me, so writing is a low priority. I really hope you guys enjoy this one:D**

"J… John?"

My jaw dropped. "Hercules?" I whispered at the figure on the ground, his soaking clothes clinging to his shaking skin. He was vigorously shaking, his left arm wrapped around his middle section, while his right arm was still mid-knock. He slowly unfurled his right fingers, and was now reaching up at me. I dropped to my knees and put his arm over my shoulder, ready to pick him up. Alexander abruptly began moving, taking his place on Hercules' other side.

We partially dragged him into the house, struggling due to him being about a foot and a half taller than both of us. He was mostly leaning on me, since I'm stronger than Alexander by way more than a mile. We turned out of the foyer and into the sitting room, leading Herc to the sofa in the corner. We sat him down, Alexander quickly leaving in search of blankets while I helped Hercules lie down. He was still shivering, the wet clothes wrapping around his frozen skin. I slowly removed his sopping beanie from his head, placing it in the ashtray we have for guests. I lit the candle on the end table next to us, holding my hands up to it to warm up. I cupped his face with my warmed hands, trying to rid the frigid feel from his face.

"Hercules, what the hell happened to you?" I muttered, bringing my hands back to the candle. My friend stayed still, his eyes shut, giving the appearance of death. _Stop, he'll be fine, you just need to warm him up._

Alexander flew into the room, arms filled to the brim with blankets and towels. He dropped them all in a pile on the floor, sifting through and picking out a large towel.

"We should take his clothes off, get him dry…" He mumbled, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of undressing his friend. I nodded, beginning to unbutton Hercules' shirt. A quiet grunt alerted Alexander and I that he was still awake. I ceased my actions, steadily backing up and standing next to Alexander. Herc's hands rose to his face, twitching as they felt around his icy features.

"Did… did I die, John?" He whispered, covering his face with his large hands. A shaky breath slipped from his parted lips.

"No, no, you're still alive, bud." I assured, kneeling next to him again. His eyes fluttered open, gradually landing on me and Alexander.

"E… Eliza, I came to see Eliza…" He murmured, placing his hands over his heart. "I need to see her… need to… see.."

Alexander nodded, tapping me on the shoulder. I glanced over at him, and he pointed at himself and then upstairs.

"Thank you." I mouthed to him, before he tossed the towel on the pile and hurried out of the room.

Hercules tightened his hands in the damp clothing above his heart. "Do… do you have any dry clothes that… might fit me?"

"Yeah, sure, a bed sheet." I muttered, smiling when his right hand flew to lightly smack me on the shoulder.

"Shut… up."

Quietly chuckling, I stood and walked over to the table where Alexander had dropped all the blankets and clothes. The both of us had secretly stolen some of Hercules' shirts and pants a few months ago, because they were so big and comfy on our smaller frames. Alex had brought down the burgled clothing, a white dress shirt, tan breeches, and a navy-blue jacket. I picked them, as well as a large towel, out from the tangle of blankets and went back to Hercules, who was attempting to sit up.

"C'mon, man." I gently pushed him up, helping him to a sitting position. He mumbled thanks, and gestured for me to put the clothes down next to him. They plopped down onto the sofa, and I dropped the towel on his lap. I sat down next to him and reached for the buttons on his shirt. He smacked my hand away and brought the bed sheet around him to cover himself.

"I can undress… myself, John, you… pervert." He stammered with a slight grin.

I laughed. "Sorry, you're not my type. I don't really go for flower girls… I prefer flower men."

He snickered, shooing me away with his hand. I walked over to the double doors, closing them behind me to give the him some privacy. I leaned my head so I could see the top of the staircase, and sighed when I didn't see Alex coming.

 _What's taking him so long?_

My thought was answered with a loud scream. Eliza, still in her dress, was suddenly rushing down the stairs. Alex trailed behind her, shouting her name.

"Eliza! He needs to rest, the man's been outside for Lord knows how long!" The words spilled out of his mouth, falling on deaf ears.

Eliza practically jumped off the last step, her gown _swooshing_ with the motion. She ran up to me, grabbing my face with shaking hands.

"Is he breathing?! Is he going to survive this?!" She shouted, tears flowing down her flushed cheeks.

"Elizabeth, take a breath! He's fine, he isn't hurt," I assured. "He's just cold and wet, I left him so he could dry off and change."

I wrapped my arms around her before she could charge into the sitting room. She shook against me, taking in large gulps of air. After a moment, her breathing had evened and she began to straighten.

Her hands still held my shoulders, and I'm just now realizing that she's surprisingly strong.

"Eliza… dearest, you're hurting me." I quietly stated, sighing in relief when she let go.

"I'm sorry, I just… can I see him, John?" She whispered. "Please?"

"Of course, Eliza. But, let me go in first, okay?" She tilted her head in curiosity. "I just really don't want to be scarred by seeing him naked."

She lightly blushed, before taking a step back. Alexander swung his arm around her, sharing a smile before looking at me. I smiled at him, and knocked on the door before sliding into the room.

Hercules was standing now, and was all gussied up in his usual outfit. The only thing that was missing was his beanie, which was still drying off on the table.

"I heard her. I finally… heard her." He looked at me with tears in his eyes. "John, I never thought I'd hear her… ever again."

I stepped over to him, putting my hands on his shoulders. "Hercules, you're here, and you're fine. But, man, you're going to tell us what the hell happened out there when you're ready, right? You've been unreachable for days."

He nodded, "As soon as I see Eliza, I'll be good enough to tell you everything."

"Okay." I moved so I was standing next to him. "Come on in, Eliza!" I softly yelled through the closed doors.

The door knob turned with such trepidation, I wasn't sure it was even moving. Gradually, the door opened, revealing Eliza, with renewed tears streaming down her shocked face.

"Oh my… god, you're okay, Herc!" Her whisper escalated into a shout as she launched herself into his arms.

He caught her with a laugh, tucking his face into the crook of her neck. He brought a hand up to cradle the back of her head. Their mumblings merged, becoming a soft murmur of 'I love you's.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her laughter mixing with his. They stood there, contently holding each other.

Alexander had appeared next to me sometime during their reunion. His hand confidently took mine, and he interlocked our fingers. I glanced up at him, a grin taking over both our faces.

"I love you." He softly whispered. My grin became even broader at his words, as always.

"I love you, too, Alex." I giggled.

"I'm ready, men." Hercules' voice cut through the calm air. "I'll tell you what happened."

We both nodded, and gestured for him and Eliza to sit down on the bed. Alexander and I took a seat on the floor, crisscrossing our legs. Hercules took a deep breath, gripping Eliza's hand with both of his.

"My brother, Hugh, called a family meeting, and I had to leave." He breathed. "But, when I got there, he… I found his body, lying in a pool of… of blood."

 **A/N: Alright, that was a totally cliche ending, but I ran out of creativeness. Tell me what y'all think in the reviews section! Hopefully the next update will be up on either Sunday or Monday:)**


	7. A Dark Surprise

"My brother, Hugh, called a family meeting, and I had to leave." He breathed. "But, when I got there, he… I found his body, lying in a pool of… of blood."

Eliza sharply inhaled, and firmly squeezed Hercules' hand. Alexander and I lowered our heads, giving a moments silence for the fallen comrade. I had met Hugh a few years ago, and again when Hercules told me of his plan to smuggle information to his brother's revolutionary covenant.

Alexander had met him a few months ago, when Hercules had invited us to a bar while Hugh was in town. Hercules talked about all of us a lot, almost bragging about the fact that he knew such awesome revolutionaries. When Alex was introduced to Hugh, they both grinned and began some stupid competition about who knew the most embarrassing fact about the other.

 _"Okay, okay, but at least I never tried to ride a sheep to school." Alexander snorted, accidentally inhaling some of his beer._

 _"Right, of course, well, I was never nicknamed 'The Little Lion'," Hugh retorted, dropping off his bar stool and wrapping his jacket around his face, creating a fake mane. Alexander laughed, and nodded as he stuck his hand out._

 _"I think we'll get along great, Hugh." Hugh took his hand, dramatically shaking it._

Hercules and I had laughed as our friends chatted away like young school girls.

Those were the good days. The days when we all worked hard for the revolution, but still laughed together. Now, it's just… different, and we're losing people left and right.

But, I can't travel into that part of my mind right now. I need to stay in the present, I need to focus on my friend.

"…Before he, you know… So, I thought, maybe, he was calling me there to help fight against whoever killed him." Hercules' voice drifted into my mind, snapping me back to reality.

"What happened before Hugh…?" I whispered to Alexander, who was sitting straight up and focusing on our comrade. He turned his head to me, giving me a look.

"Really, John? He received a letter from Hugh," Alexander filled me in, leaning over so he could whisper in my ear. "a few days before he was killed."

"I'm so sorry, Hercules," Eliza croaked, wiping tears from her eyes with one hand, as her other was tightly interlocked with Hercules' hand. "He didn't deserve this… Neither did you, darling."

He heavily swallowed, closing his eyes before continuing. "So, I went home. My brother needed me, for whatever the hell reason, and I was going to help him. In his letter, he told me that unease was brewing amongst our boys over there. They needed reassurance that everything was going to be okay."

Alexander and I nodded, we had had a few run-ins with skeptical revolutionaries. The guys would gang around us, badgering us with ' _how do you know_ 's and ' _is it even worth it's._ Throw a couple fists and give some sappy pep talk and we're back on the road to victory.

"Did he name anybody specifically? Any known problem people?" I inquired. Alex nodded at my question and looked at Hercules.

"Yeah, anybody who's whipped up discord before?" He added.

Hercules stared into space for a moment, then shook his head. "No, not one person was directly named. Maybe it was a stranger, or a group of new comer-uppers?"

"That's right, it could be someone that's new on the scene and didn't like how Hugh was handling things." I agreed.

We all fell silent, our minds racing. Who the hell would want to murder a revolutionary? Yeah, yeah, I heard myself.

But Hugh was an unknown part of the fight, for the most part. He had friends who were more public, openly showing their support for the revolution. He stayed in the shadows, though, quietly running his covenant. Most people didn't even know he was the owner, they usually dealt with Samuel, Hugh's partner. Samuel acted as the leader, he was the guy to talk to if you had an issue or wanted in. Hugh was known as the town baker, for God's sake. People knew him as the pudgy giant who made soda bread and asked people how their families were doing. But who found out he was more? I wracked my brain for answers, coming up with nothing. It was too broad of a group.

Tons of people would have a problem with commoners uprising. Most notably, the wealthy would have issues with us. Maybe it was someone of status?

"This is useless!" Alexander threw his hands up in defeat, clambering to his feet. "Sitting here, wondering what jackass killed one of our own, isn't helping anything!"

"You're right, Alexander." Hercules nodded, slightly groaning as he stood from the bed. "This isn't getting anything done, we need to _do_ something."

Eliza and I locked eyes. We both knew that meant our men were about to suggest something incredibly stupid.

"I suggest we go over there," Alexander began. "and launch a secret investigation. We have to find the cowardly motherfu-"

"Alexander Hamilton!" Eliza hissed, standing and smacking Alex upside the head. "Watch your language! The man who did the deed is a coward, among other things, but there's no need for vulgarity."

He bowed his head, muttering an apology. I lifted a hand and gently grasped her shoulder. She wearily raised her head towards me, her eyebrows going up in curiosity. I spoke in hushed tones, hoping to calm the tension in the room.

"Eliza, it's been a tough day," I glanced at Hercules. "Everyone's on the edge, we're all grown-ups, a tad bit of swearing isn't harmful."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, I just… I'm in a gray area right now. I don't know what to do, or how to deal with this. Scolding is, right now, the only thing I can control."

We all agreed. Sure, we'd lost friends before, but never someone so close. Never an actual member of our family.

Alexander was right; we must do _something._

But, doing that something without repercussions will be nearly impossible. We couldn't just run off to Europe and seek vengeance. We needed a plan, something to follow.

"Why don't we all just take a breath," Hercules' voice broke the thick silence in the air. "and think of something that we can do, that won't be illegal or cause serious consequences."

Yeah, like _how to legally kill someone for revenge._

Alexander had closed his eyes, and was simmering quietly, a hand pinching the bridge of his nose. Eliza's eyebrows were pushed together, her eyes were twitching under the lids, and she was deeply inhaling and exhaling. Both looked like the epitome of frustration.

"I need to go lie down for a bit." Eliza softly breathed, dropping her head and padding towards the door. "I'll speak with you boys later. Don't decide anything serious without me."

We grunted our agreements, and watched her depart.

"Men, let's take a break." Hercules' proposed, landing a hand on each of our shoulders. "We'll reconvene in the morning, after some much needed rest."

Alexander and I bobbed our heads simultaneously, flanking our friend and patting Hercules' shoulders.

"You get some good sleep, man." I instructed him. "Sleep in, Lord knows you deserve it."

"Yeah, don't stay up too late," Alexander waggled his eyebrows. "with, you know, a certain lady of yours."

Laughing at the sudden redness covering our friend's cheeks, we parted ways. Alexander trailed behind me, ascending the stairs to our rooms.

"You know, we should get some sleep, too." He whispered, putting his hand on the small of my back as we made it onto the landing. "Maybe we'd sleep better together? You know, for, uh, warmth?"

I chuckled. "Alexander, your subtlety needs some work."

"So, is that a yes?" He grinned, bumping my shoulder with his. I stifled a laugh at his eagerness, he looked like a kid in a candy shop.

"That's a yes." I consented. "But just cuddling, okay? I'm not ready for… other things."

"Of course, neither am I." He energetically bobbled his head, rubbing his hands together like a villain. "I'm so excited! It'll be our first sleep-over!"

I took his hand in mine, repressing another laugh at his giddiness. "Come on, let's go to bed."

 **A/N: So sorry that took so long, my inner muse has died:( I honestly don't know where I'm going with this story and have no clue when I'll next update... If y'all have any ideas, share away! Anyways, Please read and review! Thanks!**


	8. Who The Hell Are They?

My god, you're beautiful.

Those were the first words I thought of when I awoke to Alex snuggled into my neck. He was breathing evenly, his nostrils vaguely flaring when he exhaled. I studied his face for a moment; noting the freckles lined up above his right eyebrow. Trailing down his face, I noticed he had another two dotting his right nostril. We had gone to bed wrapped around each other; like a baby hugging its mother. You know, since Alex is so much shorter than me.

"I'm only a few inches shorter…" Alex mumbled, startling me. I hadn't realized I said that out loud, and couldn't stop the blush rising on my cheeks. I pulled back a little, to see his face. His warm breath heated my neck, tickling my skin. He seemed to notice my blush, and tilted his head up…

And kissed my jawline.

A small peck, at first, but then he started peppering. A kiss here, a kiss there, and suddenly my entire face was being assaulted with love. I giggled, placing my hands on his chest and slowly pushing. He looked at me with his big brown puppy-dog eyes, the same ones that he showed when Eliza needed comfort.

"You're adorable." I uttered, raising my fingers to his face. I traced the edge of his cheek with my thumb, relishing the warmth radiating from him. I leaned over, planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

He slowly exhaled, pressing his head gently against mine. "I could get used to this, you know."

I nodded, basking in the comfortable heat surrounding us.

"We should get up, Alex." I reluctantly mentioned, backing up the slightest. "Hercules probably wants to get a head start on the plan."

"Yeah, but I'm so comfy…" He whined, snuggling deeper in to my chest. I cleared my throat, before gradually untangling myself from his limbs. "Joooohn."

"Alexander what-ever-your-middle-name-is Hamilton, up." I commanded, dragging the comforter off him as I clambered out of bed. "Now."

"Fine." He relented, crawling towards the opposite side of the bed. He stood on uneven ground, wavering for a moment before plopping back down. "Oh, god, I'm so tired."

I laughed, pulling a clean shirt on. "Fine, I'll give you five minutes. Then you must get up, okay?"

"Deal!" He grinned, flopping onto his back and dramatically sighing. As he dozed off, I changed from my pajama bottoms to my tan breeches. Checking to make sure I was presentable, I headed for the door.

"Don't forget our deal, Alex." I whispered to the softly snoring man. A tiny mumble let me know he had heard my reminder.

I walked down the hallway, pausing at Eliza's door. Muffled voices emerged from the cracks, and I listened for a moment. Smiling at the two voices telling each other that they loved them immensely, I continued down the stairs.

I meandered in to the kitchen, planning on making some oatmeal.

"Darling, you can't cook for shit." A gravelly voice announced, causing me to whip around. Alexander stood there, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and creating a cape of sorts.

"Alexander, you sound like awful." I raised my brow, looking him up and down. He looked like a man-child, dressed like some outlandish pirate.

"Get used to it, this is how I always sound in the morning." He smirked, kissing my cheek as he sashayed past. "I'll make us some food, don't worry about it."

After breakfast, Hercules and Eliza joined us in the parlor to formulate a plan. They sat next to each other on the sofa, while Alex and I chose to stand. Well, I chose to stand, Alex was mostly pacing the room.

"I tried to read up on how to legally kill someone for revenge." He began, rubbing his chin. "I couldn't find a single damn thing."

"Alexander, you don't look up how to legally kill someone." Hercules laughed. "You just annoy them to no end with words. _Like you do_."

Alexander scoffed, causing Herc and I to chuckle at his affronted look. Eliza let out a small giggle before raising her hand.

"Gentlemen, let's be serious." Her voice caused the teasing to cease, as she continued. "We, of course, cannot legally kill someone. We can, however, secretly threaten and maim someone. Remember yesterday, Alexander, when you said we needed to launch a secret investigation? You're right. I've already thought the first part out, we just need to go to Ireland to for it to play out. We'll go to Hugh's home first, we have to see if the assailant left anything behind— "

"Okay." The three of us muttered, going over it in our heads as she spoke.

"-Then we'll ask around, discretely, if anybody's been hanging around Hugh's shop or home. If this person, or these people, wanted trouble, then they would've gone public and tried to out Hugh to the other side." She finished, nodding to herself.

"That sounds good, Eliza." I told her, nodding along with her. "But what will we do when we find him, or them? Just… beat the living shit out of 'em?"

She grimaced at my choice of words, and I shot her an apologetic smile. "Yes, John, we will beat the living shit out of them, as you so eloquently put."

"Darling, that sounds like a wonderful plan." Hercules commented, his eyes shimmering at her swearing. "But what if they're not the type we want to get messed up with?"

"What do you mean?" Alex piped up, looking inquiringly at Hercules. "Not the type…like, kids?"

"Well, maybe." He agreed, scratching the nape of his neck. "What if Hugh was, perhaps… an accident? What if someone was going after somebody working with Hugh and they got my brother by accident?"

"Accident?" Alex scoffed, halting his pacing to look at Hercules. "Yeah, Herc, they 'accidentally' shot him. They 'accidentally' left him to die in a pool of his own fucking blood."

"Alexander." Eliza cautioned.

"They 'accidentally' took important papers that showed some of our secret bases!" Alexander barked, stepping closer to Hercules with every word he spat.

"Alexander." Eliza warned, rising from her place on the sofa. "That's enough."

"Apparently not, Elizabeth! It wasn't enough when they murdered some poor kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time! It wasn't enough that he was just a messenger for revolutionaries, yet they killed him to make a goddamn _point_!" Alexander roared, challenging Eliza. Hercules quickly rose, standing himself next to Eliza, and his eyes met mine. _No,_ I shook my head slowly, _let them be, it'll be fine._

Alexander stood in front of her, his nostrils flaring and ragged breaths coming from his parted lips. She stood straight and raised her chin in defiance, staring right into his stormy eyes. Her eyes narrowed, and her small hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"Do _not_ challenge me, Alexander Hamilton." She gritted out, putting an arm out between Hercules and Alex. He glanced at Hercules, who had crossed his arms and was now glaring at him, and heavily sighed.

"Fine, whatever." He grumbled, turning and trudging towards the large armchair across from the sofa. He plopped down with a grimace stuck on his face, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

I exhaled, blinking my eyes shut for a moment. I could hear Alexander's labored breaths, and Eliza's teeth grinding from across the room.

"…Okay," My voice cut through the tension layered in the air. "I think Herc's right, we need to know what to do if we find out it was an accident, like he said, it could've been some kids messing around."

Alexander scoffed, eliciting a glare from both me and Eliza. Which he, of course, promptly ignored. "John, that's ridiculous and you know it."

"No, Alex, I don't know." I sighed, pressing a certain finger to my pounding temple. His eyes widened at my gesture, and he began to study the floor. "All I know is that we _need_ to find who did this."

"I just… I can't help but think of the worst possible outcomes to this mission." He confessed, propping his elbows on top of his knees. He looked like a small child bored in a lesson, leaning on the palms of his hands with a pout.

"None of us can, Alexander." Hercules added, interlocking one of his calloused hands with Eliza's smooth fingers. They both slightly blushed at the familiar action, glancing at each other with small grins.

"I know it doesn't seem like we can do this safely." Eliza quietly remarked. "But we need to take a risk. We need to go to Ireland and we need to find _whoever_ , be it a child or an adult, harmed one of our own and we need to show them the consequences of their actions."

We all nodded in agreement, our minds going to work on how we can execute this plan.

 ** _The Crosskeys Inn, Antrim, Ireland_**

"Seamus, you moron."

"Well, what the hell did you want me to do, Eamon?" A gangly boy, no older than seventeen, retorted. "Slap a bloody bandage on 'im and pray to the lord that 'e lives?"

The other man, a stout ginger, grimaced across the table. His features were partially hidden by the shadows created by the oil-lamp to his left, hiding the gnarled skin on his right cheek. Seamus had only seen his entire face once, but once was enough for a lifetime. Whispers traveled through the towns between Antrim and Coleraine, whispers of arson and a man stealing away into the night with a barrel's worth of euros. Seamus wanted to know if the tales were true, and that's how he ended up an hour away from his cottage in Coleraine, sitting in a pub with a prat of a fugitive.

"No, you bloody sprog." Eamon growled, gripping his glass of whiskey. He took a swig, wiping his face with the back of his hand, and continued. "You could've just gone a tad easier on the man, instead of mucking it all up like a damn stook."

"What do you know, old man?" Seamus countered, bringing his own drink to his lips for a sip. He slammed it down onto the table surface with a grotty grin. "You're bloody legless, that's what you are, don't even know what you're talking about."

Eamon's eyes darkened, and he downed the rest of his booze in a swift move. He stood, wavering next to the table for a moment.

"Get stuffed." He sneered, turning on his unsteady heel and leaving.

Seamus sat still for a moment, his eyes blazing at the closed door Eamon had slammed shut.

 _Bloody eejit was in such a drunken stupor, didn't even ask what I got from the lad's house._

Seamus smirked, taking a final sip of his whiskey.

 _His loss._

 **A/N: WOOHOO CHAPTER 8! Finally, I've finished this one, that took forever XD Thank you, dear readers, for reviewing and telling me your thoughts on what should go down or if I'm doing something horribly wrong. You guys have honestly brought my muse back, I'm going to try and update this bi-weekly from now on. A few reviewers told me I need to plan it out more, and that would help with writing the chapters, since I'd know where I was trying to go. Well, thank you, folks, it DID help and I have a rough outline for this story THANK GOODNESS. Also, I'm Irish/Scottish and ,growing up, I heard Scottish and Irish slang from my mother who grew up in Scotland and occasionally visited Ireland. I've always wanted to write Irish characters, and I hope I did well with our two mystery characters! I think I kinda merged Scottish/Irish slang (and maybe British but sshhh who has to know), so I apologize for that. If you have any slang that you'd like to see in the next chapter, slap that sucker in your review and I'll try my best to use it! (Damn this is a long AN note, sorry, I'll go now)**

 **Anyways, let me know what you thought of this chapter with a review! What do you think the gang will get up to in Ireland? Who were the two mysterious Irishmen in the pub?**


	9. Sinister Words

"…And then we'll sneak through the back door, stay in his home 'til nightfall."

Hercules' voice droned on in the back of my mind, the plan slowly replaying in my mind. We had outlined the mission, exactly what we wanted to accomplish and exactly how we would accomplish it. We tried to talk Eliza out of coming with us, since she doesn't have the fighting and spying experience we do.

That fanned out precisely how we thought it would.

 _"_ _What do you mean I 'don't have the experience' you do?!" She shouted, shooting to her feet as we sat at the kitchen table. "I was raised by a goddamn General, the hell I don't!"_

 _"_ _Eliza, dear, we didn't mean to upset you." Hercules winced, rubbing his ears. "It's just… we don't want you to get hurt._ I _don't want you to get hurt."_

 _He reached up, taking her hands in his._

 _"_ _Eliza, I want to grow old with you, and do all the things a couple gets to do together, like, you know… have kids. But we can't do that if you're killed because you don't have the training that we have."_

 _She had been quiet for a moment, her wide eyes searching Hercules' pleading brown orbs. Then she shook her head, her hands retreating to her sides. She turned on her heel and left the room, leaving Hercules confused and worried._

 _"_ _Did… did I say something wrong, guys?" He quietly questioned, keeping his eyes on the door frame she had gone through. "Oh, god, it's because I said the thing about kids, wasn't it? I scared her…"_

 _"_ _No, no, man," Alex soothed, placing a hand on our friend's shoulder. "She's just worried about you going off and doing something this dangerous without her, she'll come around."_

 _Somewhere in the house a door slammed._

 _"_ _Oh, god, she's mad at me!" Hercules groaned, dropping his head into his hands. Alexander and I shared a look, one that agreed that we needed a Schuyler sister's help with Eliza._

 _"_ _Okay, Peggy wasn't at her house," Alexander told us, a few hours after the situation in the kitchen. "But her dad gave me a name for one of her friends, someone she might be with. I sent an urgent message to her, asking that Peggy be sent here when she was able. Hopefully she'll be here soon, though, I don't like hearing my books be thrown about."_

 _Alex was referring to the thudding coming from upstairs, where Eliza had locked herself in Alex's office. Occasionally, she'd yell something, but we were too fearful to go up and listen._

 _Soft rapping at the door alerted us to a visitor._

 _I strode ahead of Alexander, flinging the door open. Peggy Schuyler stood in all her glowing glory, smiling as she flattened a bit of her yellow dress's skirt._

 _"_ _Pegs!" I exclaimed, happy to see my friend after so long apart. Corresponding through letters for years, and seeing each other in person on occasion, had made us close friends. We had connected over our friendship with Alex, she had actually been the first one I had told of my affections for the Caribbean._

 _"_ _Johnny!" She flew forward into my open arms. "I haven't seen you in so long!"_

 _"_ _Ugh, too long, Pegs." I grinned, releasing her from my hold as she pulled away._

 _"_ _Now, I'd love to catch up with you," She began, her smile disappearing. "but I hear my sister is upset and has locked herself away? What's happened?"_

 _"_ _It's a long story, Peggy." I grimaced, letting her into the house. I closed the front door and led her to the kitchen, where Alex was leaning on the doorway._

 _"_ _Hi, Peggy." He smiled at her, and she returned it with a quick hug._

 _"_ _Hi, Alex." She smiled, and then deeply frowned. "What the hell did you do, you moron?!"_

 _She whacked him on the side of his head, her eyebrows furrowing down as she glared up at him._

 _"_ _God, Peggy, nothing, I swear!" He raised his hands in surrender, sliding past her and hiding behind me. "Please, don't hit me again! You're very small, but oddly strong!"_

 _"_ _Why is Eliza upset, Alexander? Did you say something?" She continued her tirade. "Because I know Hercules wouldn't make her this upset, he's sensitive, unlike_ some _people."_

 _Alex cowered, staying behind me._

 _"_ _Pegs, it_ was _Hercules." I commented, reaching a hand behind me to hold Alex's shaking hand. "He didn't mean to make her upset, we actually have no clue why she's upset, he didn't say anything insane or degrading, I think…"_

 _"_ _You think?" She repeated, raising an eyebrow at me. "What did he say, exactly?"_

 _"_ _Well, uh, he just said that he didn't want her going to Ireland with us, because she doesn't have the same experience we do." I quickly said in one breath, hoping she would understand our intention._

 _"_ _Yeah, that makes sense." She sighed. "But, you know that she has a problem with people thinking she can't do shit, right?"_

 _"_ _Uh, no." I replied. "She's the only one of us who actually gets shit done, why would she think that? We just don't want her in a war situation, we want her safe. Here, in New York City, with a safe home and a safe neighborhood and not people trying to kill her."_

 _She nodded. "Okay, I'll go and talk to her, try and relay some of your words."_

 _With that, she was gone._

 _She headed upstairs, while we entered the kitchen, glancing around to find Hercules sitting on the floor in the corner._

 _"_ _I'm glad that Peggy knows I wouldn't make Eliza upset on purpose." He murmured, facing the adjacent wall._

 _"_ _Hercules, man, it's gonna be fine, she just needs to understand that we only want her to be safe." I told him, taking a seat at the table. Alexander took the chair next to me, and began to pen a note._

 _"_ _What're you writing?" I asked, leaning over to read it. The top read 'My dearest Eliza'._

 _"_ _Why are you writing a note to her? She's right upstairs, you know, she'll be down soon enough." I reminded him, lightly bumping my shoulder against his._

 _"_ _John, we need to leave soon." He announced, turning to face me. "I managed to book passage on a merchant's ship that's heading to Ireland. Tonight, John."_

 _I blanked for a moment, trying to think about how much time we had. It was already two in the afternoon, we had a few hours before we'd have to be at the docks._

 _"_ _Oh, okay, then… We just leave? Would she be mad at us if we did that?" I thought aloud, wondering if she'd come down before we had to leave._

 _"_ _I don't think I could just… leave her, you guys." Hercules mumbled. "I need to tell her that I love her before I go and do this. I can't just leave without telling her that as many times as I can…"_

 _"_ _Write her, Hercules. Just leave a note, I'm sorry for my bluntness, but…" Alexander trailed off, looking towards the kitchen doorway. His eyes widened, and Hercules stood when he followed Alex's eye sight._

 _"_ _I'd definitely be mad if you left me without saying goodbye, boys." Eliza whispered, her arms wrapped around herself. Peggy stood off to the left, behind her teary-eyed sister._

 _"_ _But our father would be madder if he learns that she went off to Ireland with a handful of revolutionaries." Peggy continued, stepping forward and gently pulling one of her sister's hands. They walked into the room, stopping next to the table._

 _"_ _I'm sorry for my outburst earlier." Eliza stated, dropping her chin. "I just… I don't want to lose you before we get to do all those couple things, Hercules."_

 _Her tears gracefully slid down her cheeks, and Hercules steadily inched closer to her. He raised an open hand and carefully wiped her tears with the back of his fingers._

 _"_ _I love you, Elizabeth Schuyler." He murmured, while Alex and I watched with sad anticipation. This was their goodbye, through actions they had agreed; Hercules wouldn't let Eliza come with, which was the right decision. "More than the moon loves the stars."_

 _"_ _And I love you, Hercules Mulligan." A watery laugh escaped from her throat, as her tears flowed freely. "More than the sun loves the sky."_

 _They pressed their lips together in a slow, tender kiss. Hercules broke it off with a giggle, sending Eliza into a small fit herself._

 _"_ _I'll miss you every day, my love." Eliza uttered, tracing Hercules' jawline with her fingertips. He nodded against her forehead, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'll also worry about you every day, too, my dear, it's inevitable."_

 _"_ _I, too, will miss you, darling." Hercules laughed, his warm breath mingling against Eliza's lips. "I will worry about you until the day I hold you in my arms again."_

 _"_ _God, they're sappy." Alexander muttered next to me, looking like he wanted to throw up while simultaneously jumping up and down at their happiness. I elbowed his side, eliciting an offended look from him and a smug 'Hmph' from me._

Surprisingly, it fanned out damn well, with Eliza agreeing to stay in New York City with Peggy. After a few hours and multiple tearful goodbyes, Hercules and Alex had packed all they needed for the trip. We were hoping to stay in Ireland for a month, maybe less if all goes well. Hopefully, it will.

I had thrown a few shirts, socks, underclothes, and pants into a medium-sized pack from one of my days at a basecamp. Just enough to last me, and I can always buy more clothes at the nearby shops in Coleraine if I don't have enough. Half the reason my packing was so light was simple; I hated packing with a fiery fervor.

We had departed the house around seven in the evening, leaving an hour to travel to the docks. We took our time strolling past buildings we wouldn't pass again for a while, watching lamps flicker out as we passed.

We arrived at the docks with no time to spare, immediately mounting the medium-sized ship by way of plank. The entire ship reeked of something acrid, a few scraggly rats milling about the deck adding to the putrid smells.

By rats I mean scraggly-looking folks who were disdainfully lingering in the shadows, as well as the usual small rodents. They had sneered when we glanced at their faces, and grunted when we went off in search of the entrance to below deck.

The men and I tucked ourselves into a dim corner under the surface of the deck, sitting atop our luggage as to guard it. We were the only ones below deck, except for a sleeping man holding a small pack to his chest. The air was even thicker than above, the smells of past passengers lingering. We chatted quietly amongst ourselves for maybe an hour or two, before sleep came and stole our focus one by one. Hercules was first, his large head nodding off and leaning onto the wall beside him.

Alexander had sat down next to me when we came down, and he had steadily inched closer while we spoke. His head lightly dropped onto my shoulder, soft snores telling me he had fallen asleep mid-sentence. I chuckled at his sleepiness, scooting lower so his head would rest on my shoulder, and curled my fingers around his limp hand.

 _I could get used to this…_

We were all shocked awake by shouting above deck, deep, accented voices carrying to where we were. We all shot up, ripping our bags off the ground, and booked it up the unsteady stairs.

"At least they don't sound British…" Alexander muttered as we winced at the blinding light at the top of the staircase.

The docks appeared to be completely abandoned, a few crushed crates scattered about the weathered-wood pier. The men we had heard were off to the side of our ship, discussing something in hushed tones, their brows furrowed at each other.

"Wonder who they are." I questioned aloud, glancing at Hercules and Alex. They were intently listening to the trio, who occasionally lifted a vague finger in our direction.

"I don't know, John," Hercules answered, rubbing the nape of his neck with his hand. "but I don't like that they keep gesturing to us."

We turned to watch them as their voices rose, enabling us to hear what they were arguing about.

"I'm telling you, Brian." One of the men growled, stepping closer to the man he addressed. "That bloke is him! He looks just like his brother!"

"No, you prat." Brian shook his head, glaring at the other man. "He lives in New York, why the hell would he be here?"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Brian." Another man entered the conversation with a stoic expression. "That's Mulligan, all right?"

"No, no, why would the bloke come back?" The first man argued, stealing glances at us while he spoke. "His only family is dead, there's nothing here but trouble."

"Uh, Hercules?" I whispered, turning to face Alex and Hercules.

"Yeah?" He prompted, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"I think you should start walking. Now."

He nodded, and Alex adjusted his bag over his shoulder. Hercules lifted his own luggage, and led us down the gangplank. We strode by the conversing men, our heads low and turned away from them. They immediately quieted when we passed by, their eyes burning holes in the back of our heads.

"Oi!" One of the men, Brian, shouted.

I exchanged quick looks with Hercules and Alexander, deciding whether we respond or not. Alexander shook his head, and we quickened our pace down the pier.

"Oi, blokes with the luggage!" Brian shouted again, footsteps sounding behind us.

Hercules shot me an urgent look, and then broke off into a sprint. His bag was slung over his shoulder as he ran off the pier, running onto the road. He made a sharp right turn, disappearing behind a string of down and out buildings.

"Let me handle this." I told Alex, who was standing next to me with wide eyes. The men caught up with us, their shadows looming on the floor of the dock. Alex and I pivoted, facing the three men who were catching their breaths. One stepped forward, stopping barely a foot away from us.

"Why'd ye run?" He growled, eyeing us as he spoke. "We just wanted to have a chat, yeah?"

"Pete, you're scaring the lads. Shut it." Brian reached his hand forward, dragging his friend back by the shoulder. "We just had a bit of a question for your mate there, but it seems he had plans, huh?"

"Yes, he's a very busy man." I nodded, putting my bag down and crossing my arms. "What did you want from him?"

"Woah, calm down there, boy!" Brian laughed, resting a hand on his hip. "We just wanted to know if he was Hercules Mulligan or not."

I narrowed my eyes at them, internally arguing with myself. Do I tell them yes? Or, what if they're bad guys and I just gave up that Hercules is back?

My silence apparently answered their question, because two of the men fist-pumped the air.

"I _knew_ it was him!" One yelled with a smile. "You were right, mate!"

"You're damn right I'm damn right!" Brian loudly agreed, a grin spread on his face.

"Ugh, you bloody idjits…" Pete muttered, turning around and trudging back to the boat.

"Just what are you blokes doing here? Last I heard, Hercules got his ass kicked all the way back to America." Brian chuckled, tilting his head at us.

"I'm not too sure that's any of your business, sir." Alexander replied, glaring at the two men. He stood next to me, if not slightly behind me, and dropped his pack on the ground. He crossed his arms as well, knitting his eyebrows. "Now is it?"

"Well, you're quite intimidating, aren't you, kiddo?" Pete taunted, a condescending grin spreading across his square-jawed, pasty face. He drew himself up to his full height, a good five or six inches taller than Alex and me.

"F… fuck off." Alex squeaked, moving further behind me. Pete laughed, elbowing Brian's side.

"Wouldja lookit? Little bugger doesn't want to stand up for himself." Pete laughed again, staring right into Alex's eyes and jabbing a finger at me. "What, is your _boyfriend_ gonna protect ya?"

"Hell yeah, I am." I stated, straightening my back and bracing myself for a fight.

Pete looked surprised for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Oh, yeah? Get ready for an ass-whoopi—"

Brian roughly grabbed Pete's arm, yanking him away from us.

"All right, that's enough." Brian yelled, glaring at both Pete and us. He dragged Pete behind himself, pivoting and whispering something to him. Pete nodded at him, and glared at us one last time before begrudgingly stomping towards the boat.

"Sorry, folks, he doesn't play too well with others." Brian apologized, watching his friend walk away. "Uh… I should go, he's a drinker when he's right pissed. You behave yourselves now, yeah? Don't let that giant of yours get too deep in the local business."

Alexander and I both glanced at each other, confusedly nodding at the other man. Why did they just give up?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex piped up after Brian had turned away. The man rotated on his foot, glancing at us before shrugging.

"It means don't let him do anything too stupid." He answered. "It's mighty cold six feet under."

He grinned, and continued walking away, leaving Alex and I to think about his words.

Was that a threat?

 **A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know this chapter sucks:( I've been suuuper busy lately, working on getting my learner's permit and my upcoming school review. I actually meant to finish this yesterday, but life gut-punched me, soooo... I hope somebody enjoys this chapter, and (hopefully, maybe?) leaves a review! :D**

 **'Til next time, mon petite pomme de terre!**

 **thatwritermadeofpotatoes**


	10. I Won't Let You Die

"What'd I miss?" Hercules inquired, stretching in his position on the low sofa. Alexander and I had just made it back to Hugh's house, taking a while since we couldn't find the piece of paper with his address. Though, if Hercules had given it to me, and not Alexander, I wouldn't have kept it 'safe' in the bottom of my shoe, and then forgotten about it.

Honestly, that man is so odd.

"They wanted to know if you were _the_ Hercules Mulligan." I answered with a sigh, dropping my bag next to the front door. Alexander came in behind me, shutting the door with a scoff.

"Yeah, as if there's any other." He put his pack on top of mine, dragging his body over to the sofa. He plopped face down next to Hercules, dramatically sighing.

"Poor Alexander." I cooed, taking a spot on the floor in front of him and taking his shoes off. "You hate walking, don't you, buddy?"

Alexander shook his head, flipping over after I had taken both his shoes off, and pouted at me. " _John,_ I'm a grown man. I don't hate walking, I _abhor_ it."

I giggled, nodding at his correction. I leaned back on my open palms, placing my feet on top of Alexander's swinging feet.

Hercules chuckled. "Wow, you two are certainly settling into life with each other, huh?"

Alex and I both blushed at his comment, aware of just how comfortable we were around each other. It was… difficult, to say the least, not to be touching Alexander in some way during our travel. Hercules said we needed to keep a low-profile, so just keep our heads down and 'don't act like the mushy couple you are, I need you to act as though you feel nothing.'

I _hated_ it.

Not being able to hold his hand, or stand shoulder to shoulder so we could lean on each other. Not being able to just stop and stare, recounting the freckles mapped across his face. Not being able to say _I love you_ when somebody looks at him and tells him he that no one will ever love someone that scruffy.

I, for one, love his scruffiness.

Alexander nudged my side, rousing me from my thoughts. He was sheepishly grinning at me, his deep chocolate eyes twinkling in the light of the lamp Hercules had placed on the table.

"How about we rest for tonight?" Hercules suggested, steadily standing from the sofa. "We'll search around the house tomorrow, I'm sure we're all too tired to do it tonight anyways."

"Sure." I nodded in agreement, standing as well and grabbing my bag from the door.

"How can I say no to sleep?" Alexander yawned, straightening up and heaving himself into a standing position. He started to shuffle across the small room, heading for the door frame.

"Oh, and John?" Hercules stopped in the doorway, pointing a finger at me and beckoning me closer. Alexander laughed and continued past Hercules.

"Oooh, looks like somebody's in trouble." Alexander mused, mockingly waving goodbye. I watched until he left my sight, walking down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. Hugh has a hell of a lot more rooms than a single baker should, but I guess it helped when revolutionaries had to make a pit stop.

A cough brought me back to the situation at hand.

"So… Am I in trouble?" I inquired with a slight smile, slowly putting my bag back down and turning towards Hercules. He softly chuckled, rubbing his jaw with his hand.

"John, I just, I don't know." He sighed, crossing his arms. He leaned his head back against the door way, tilting his head so he could look at me. "What if it was a bad idea coming here? Especially with Alexander, the man is non-stop, I swear. He'll bring more eyes to us than a goddamn unicorn wearing one of the Schuyler sisters' dresses."

"Hercules, take a breath." I amusedly ordered, stifling a giggle at his example. "Obviously, I've thought about all the ways Alex could get us in trouble here. For one, he could end up back-talking to some ass about how Hugh was a revolutionary informant, which could end several ways. Mostly with him dying, though."

He solemnly nodded, "Yeah, that's definitely a possibility."

"Hercules." I sobered, taking on a more serious tone. We stared into each other's eyes, nervously thinking of what might happen to our loud-mouthed Caribbean.

"I'm worried, John." He admitted after a few moments had passed, his eyes flicking down to the floorboards.

"Worried about Alexander… or Hugh?" I asked, questioningly tilting my head.

"About everything."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He lightly groaned, shaking his head. "I don't know, man. I just… What the hell was I thinking bringing my brother into this?"

"No, Hercules, don't blame yourself for his death." I gently chided. "He was your older brother, he knew what he was getting into when you asked him, okay?"

He shakily nodded, heavily sighing. "I know, it's just a really… shitty life, you know? I mean, I'm all for revolution and everything, but losing my brother… It wasn't in the cards."

I nodded at that; truer words have never been spoken. We wanted the freedom for all, not the graves for loved ones.

He glanced at me, as if to say something, but decided against it.

"You good now?" I lifted my lips in a slight smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "Because I've got a handsome Caribbean in need of some serious cuddling."

"Ugh, you two lovebirds disgust me." He chuckled, straightening up. "Get some sleep, no fooling around, kid."

"Alright, alright."

I let him leave before I head towards Alexander's and my shared room.

A warm light is emanating from the cracks around the slightly open door, putting my nerves from earlier at ease. I silently walk towards it, listening for Alexander's soft snoring, but hear nothing from the room. Except for… Oh, no.

A scratching sound.

Paper being crumpled.

Little grunts of frustration that can only mean one thing.

I pushed the door open, throwing my bag down next to the bed. "Alexander Whatever-your-middle-name-is Hamilton! What in god's name are you writing at this hour?!"

He gasped, jumping up from the small desk in the corner of the room. He grasped at the loose papers littering the desk top and shoved them into his open bag.

"I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING!" He shouted, before flying across the room at record speed and flinging himself onto the bed. He hastily shoved himself under the covers and pulled them all the way to his chin before speaking again. "I'm just, uh… sleeping."

I raised an eyebrow in a way that Angelica would be proud of. "Sleeping? Sleeping, Alexander? Really?"

"Y…Yes."

"Uh-huh." I hummed, striding over to the desk that was now in complete disarray. I glanced around the surface for any hint as to what he was writing.

Nothing.

"So, um, how did the _talk_ with Herc go?" Alexander coughed, extremely suspiciously in my opinion.

"It went." I shrugged. "He's kinda worried about the guys we talked to earlier, but nothing too major, Alex."

He nodded, shifting deeper into the bed. " And… how are you feeling? About everything."

"Not good. I know we need to figure out what the hell went down to get Hugh killed, but I very much want to go home. I just want freedom for everyone _right now_. That would be enough."

"I know, dear, but we'll get there. We just have to go through a few chapters of our lives, then we'll reach the freedom-filled end." He softly smiled at me and his eyes shined in the dream-like candle light, mimicking Eliza's favorite face to make.

"How about you?" I returned, smiling at his writing metaphor. He repeated my shrug.

"Fine, I guess. I miss Eliza and New York City, probably not as much as Hercules, but…" He trailed off, pushing the blankets down and sitting up in the bed. "What if there are more of those guys? Guys like Brian and whatever the other guys' names were, out to get Hercules and us? I'm not worried so much as… I don't know, scared. I have so much work to get done, John."

"Alexander…" I quietly said, tilting my head at him and stepping closer to the bed.

"What if the world never hears what I have to say? What if divorcing a Schuyler sister is my legacy? There's so much work to be done…" He continued, his hands gesturing wildly above the sheets as he spoke.

"Alexander." I said, a bit louder, though he ignored me.

"What if the war is never won? What if I die by some damn fool that shot me? What if that bullet is my legacy, remembered because I was assassinated while searching for a fellow revolutionary's murderer?" He rattled on, his eyes growing wider with every word.

"Alexander." I firmly said, sitting down on the side of the bed and reaching for his hand. I gently grabbed it, noticing how clammy his palms were. "Take a break."

"Am I throwing away my shot?" He mumbled, looking right into my eyes.

"No, Alex, you're helping a friend. That's what you do." I reassured, muttering _sometimes_ in the back of my mind. Alexander wasn't, how do I say this… a friendly guy to most people. He's a short little ball of hatred most times. _Passionate_ hatred, but hatred nonetheless.

He's silent, staring right through my eyes and straight on into my soul. His deep brown eyes pierce my lighter ones, searching for something, but I couldn't tell what.

"John?" He inquired after a moment's thought.

"Yes?"

"I was writing my will." He whispered, his dark eyes shooting down to our intertwined hands. He gripped harder, as if I would fly away if he didn't anchor me.

"What? Sweetheart, you're not going to die here. _I_ won't let you die here." I promised, rubbing my thumb in circles on the top of his hand.

"You have no control who lives, or who dies, John." He argued, keeping his eyes on our hands. "Who'll tell my story, who'll tell yours or Hercules' if we die?"

" _None_ of us are going to die, Alexander. I know, because we're trained and because these Irish bastards don't know what we're made of." I stated, fully confident in our fighting, and sleuthing, abilities.

His eyes lingered on our hands for another breath, then slowly roamed back to mine. We locked sights, silently telling each other _I love you._

He steadily nodded his head, pulling me closer to him. We hugged, then parted so I could quickly change into my PJs and slide under the covers.

"Alright, alright, that's what I'm talking about." I breathed into his ear once we were settled. He was curled into my side, his face tucked into my neck. I had my left arm wrapped around his shoulders, nestling him flush against me. He giggled at my comment, placing his left hand on my chest. I lazily put my right hand on top of it, and lightly linked our fingers. I lowered my head just a bit, and planted a chaste kiss onto his forehead.

"I love you, John. Goodnight." Alex murmured.

"I love you, too, darling. Goodnight."

 **A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I DID NOT MEAN FOR MORE THAN A MONTH TO PASS BETWEEN THE LAST CHAPTER AND THIS, LIFE HAS JUST BEEN SUPER SUCKY AND MY MUM IS HAVING A TON OF HEALTH PROBLEMS AND MY BROTHER IS BEING A JERK AND I NEVER FELT LIKE WORKING ON MY FICS AND I APOLOGIZE. Please god forgive me, reader, I feel awful, but let me make it up to you with a one-shot of yoUR CHOICE! AHHH? HOW GOOD DOES THAT SOUND, HUH? (does enticing jazz hands)**

 **But seriously, anything you want, I'll give it to you, that's how bad I feel about not updating when I said I would:(**

 **(Also, pretty please review, I antagonized over this chapter for an entire hour, debating whether or not it was good enough, I need feedback, my dearest, reader)**

 **thatwritermadeofpotatoes**


	11. A Loss of Bearings

"Can we take a break? I'm exhausted." Alexander huffed, wiping a tiny line of sweat from his forehead. Hercules chuckled, keeping his back turned to us.

"Alex, it's not our problem if you're not fit enough to rummage through stuff for barely two hours." Hercules commented, smiling at me over his shoulder.

"Yeah, Alex, how are you so inactive? You're a soldier, what happened?" I grinned, questioning him.

"Eliza's cooking happened." Alex dreamily whispered, a slight smile flitting across his lips as he remembered the Schuyler sisters surreal cooking abilities.

Hercules and I chuckled at his response, shaking our heads and turning back to the task at hand. Hercules was currently trying to jimmy the top off an old container that read 'HOME-BREW, FOR MY LIPS ONLY'.

His belief was that he deserved a bit of alcohol after all the shit his Hugh put him through.

While he was working on opening his holy grail, Alex and I were moving furniture around. Not… domestic rearranging, per say, more shoving to the side and trying to see if Hugh kept any important documents in any weird places, like Alexander and the shoe thing.

"Okay, I think the living room, dining room, and parlor are clear…" I thought aloud, glancing around the room one last time. "Has anybody checked the kitchen?"

"Not me." Alexander replied, and Hercules shook his head.

"Alright, Herc, you keep trying to get your special juice open." He grunted in acknowledgement. "And, Alex, you help me search the kitchen, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

We made our way through the maze of scattered furniture we'd left in our wake of searching. Alex tripped on a lamp that was lying on its side on the ground, but I managed to catch him in time, and aside from that we made it to the kitchen relatively unscathed.

"Where do you wanna start, John?" Alex sighed, his eyes roaming across the dirty kitchen. There were used dishes lying everywhere, on the counter, on the table, on the stove-top. I let out a breath as I took in the sight, trying to formulate an organized attack.

"We should start… with the cabinets." I semi-confidently responded, making my way over to the closest one.

Alexander stepped past me and chose the only open cabinet, and started to take the occupants out and splay on the counter.

My own cabinet was filled with oddities, ranging from half-full jam jars to parchments with drawings of the same woman.

"Hey… Hercules?" I called out, pulling the papers carefully from their position underneath the jars.

"Coming!" He called back, the sound of furniture being gently pushed following his response.

"What's up?" He asked, coming into the kitchen and over to me. His eyes glanced around the counters, looking at what Alex and I had fished from the shelves. "Find anything interesting?"

"Yeah, uh…" I passed him the drawings. "Do you know her? There're probably a dozen or so of these pages, and they're all of the same woman."

He shifted the papers, looking at all of them with a blank look on his face. Slowly, the blank turned to wonder, and a bit of confusion.

"Hugh, you dog…" He kept muttering, not ceasing his sifting of the papers. "Who is she, Hugh…"

"So you don't know her, Herc?" He steadily nodded, confirming it. "So, could they have been together in secret? Or maybe… I don't know."

"This is… strange, I always talked to him, and his buddies would've definitely told me if he was seeing anyone. They always made sure that we knew who the other was seeing, just in case one of us died and the girl needed to be notified."

Alex had halted his actions, and come up behind me to see what I'd found. He was looking at the pictures with an… unfamiliar look. I'd never seen him have such a serious, yet curious face before.

"Alex? What're you thinking about, hon?" I softly prompted, not wanting to be so loud that I interrupt Hercules' brooding thoughts.

"I, uh, she's…" He stumbled over his words, looking to the ceiling in thought. "I've… I've seen her before."

"What?" Hercules' head whipped up at the revelation, and his wide eyes bore into Alex's.

"Where, Alex? You've never been to Ireland, or at least since I've known you." I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not… not sure. I _know_ I've seen her somewhere, somewhere with Hugh…" He thought for a moment. "Oh! The bar, the bar on Mercer Street, I saw at the bar on Mercer Street! I knew I'd seen her before, but… Why would Hugh have these drawings?"

"I have no clue, Alexander, but that's incredibly helpful that you've seen her before." Hercules noted, his former frown lightly smiling at us. "At least she's not some stranger we've never seen before, she'd be a lot harder to track. Now, though, we can ask around that bar and maybe they'll recognize her if we show them the drawings."

"Guys, can I go grab us some food?" Alex put forward, running a hand through his medium-length hair. "No offense, Herc, but your brother and you have _very_ different grocery habits. The guy had beer and jam. Period."

"Yeah, yeah, go for it." He agreed, groping the inside of one of the many small purses on one of the kitchen counters. He made a small triumphant sound, and pulled a handful of coins from the fabric. "Here, there's a small fish and chips shop a little ways down the road. Just… stick to the road and not the shadows, okay? Don't get in any trouble. With anyone."

"Right, 'cause everyone I talk to gets pissed at me." Alex laughed, but was quickly silenced by Hercules' glare.

"Alex, just be careful, okay?" I interrupted Herc's glare and Alex's sheepish grin, giving my boyfriend a quick hug.

"Love you. I'll be back soon." He whispered into my ear, causing us both to blush from the contact.

"Love you, too. Be back in one piece." I felt him grin before he pulled away, and nodded at Hercules before taking the money and leaving.

"Alright, soldier boy, let's get back to it." Hercules sighed.

A few hours had passed since Alex had gotten us food. The trip went off without a hitch according to Alex, though the dirt on his knee told us otherwise.

"You tripped over yourself, didn't you?" I had asked him when he came back in.

"…None of your business, Laurens." He had pouted, eliciting giggles from Hercules and me.

Now, back in the kitchen, we were pacing in circles. Unsure of what to do next, we each were left to our own thoughts in the merry-go-round of walking.

I had checked all the kitchen cabinets while Alexander was out, and Herc had checked everywhere in the living room, again. We all had checked the guest rooms and our temporary bedrooms earlier, before we even started on the downstairs. Now, though, we were out of hiding places for hints of Hugh's activities.

"Guuuuuys, I'm bored." Alex moaned, rubbing his face with his hands. He stopped walking, and I weaved past him and back onto the invisible track we were all on. Hercules did the same, and we continued our small circle around the table.

"Then do something." I proposed, sighing at his comically wide eyes.

"But… but, that means thinking." He complained, crossing his arms and sitting down at the table.

"Yeah, right, like you're ever _not_ thinking." Hercules quietly commented, tiredly chuckling at Alex's scoff.

"Alex, why don't you just go to slee—"

The floor gave out in one fell swoop, my knees buckling at the sudden loss of ground. I fell forward, my palms catching me on the nearest floorboards. I yelled out in surprise and pain, feeling the wood of the floor planks cutting into my legs. Hercules shouted my name, and I heard Alex screaming 'oh god' over and over again. My vision blurred then darkened, either from me closing my eyes, or the intense pain overload.

I had stopped falling what seems like forever ago, but I can't move. I can't see anything either, but I' don't know if that's because it's dark in… whatever room this is, or if I've gone blind.

"JOHN! Sweetheart, answer me!" Alex's voice faded into my mind, bringing my attention back to my friends.

"Guy…guys?" I choked, the dust blown around from the fallen floor suffocating me. "What… hell just went down?"

"You did! Laurens, you just straight disappeared into the goddamn ground, man!" Hercules boomed somewhere above me, his voice slightly distorted.

"Oh, god, everything hurts, guys." I groaned, trying to roll onto my back. I winced at the sudden shock in my side and legs, and immediately felt tears prickle at my eyes.

"John, don't move, baby!" Alex hurriedly ordered, and I could vaguely see his figure a few feet above me. "We're gonna come down and get you, okay? Don't move!"

He moved from my sight, and I instantly missed his voice. I weakly called out for him, but neither him no Hercules answered. I surveyed my surroundings, trying to figure out where the hell I ended up.

To my immediate right, there were roughly a dozen large barrels lined up against the wall. To my left, a few chairs surrounding a small, wooden round-table. I grimaced at the pain again, then glanced around the general area. From my point of view, it looked to be some kind of cellar, maybe, or… a gambling room? I have no clue, but what better place to gamble than a room with a crap-ton of alcohol?

I slightly shifted my body, trying to feel something other than pain from my legs. No doubt, it would take me a while to be able to walk after this little stunt.

I heard a loud thud from somewhere near my feet, and jumped as much as I could lying down. Wincing at the pain shooting through almost all of me, I clenched my jaw. I attempted to lift my head, anxious to see what the commotion near my lower half was.

"Are you okay?!" A panic-stricken voice called out, a voice that I'm assuming belongs to the figure emerging from the cloud of dust and broken ceiling.

"Alex?" I weakly replied, shifting so that I was partially sitting up and leaning on my elbows.

"Oh, my god, honey!" He cried, stumbling over an obstacle of wood and through a small cloud of air-borne dust. He dropped down next to me, and instantaneously began to check me over. His hands lightly pressed along my arms, then my chest, then my legs, all the while with him muttering to himself.

"Alex?"

"John, you could've died, what were you thinking? You didn't break, I don't think, but you could've." He breathily responded me, tears gathering in his deepening eyes as he looked up from my leg. "I should've made you guys sit down, all that pacing in this old house…"

"No, no, Alex, none of us saw this coming, it's not your fault, yeah?" I raised my eyebrows, waiting for a yes from him.

"…Yeah." He finally agreed after a moment. I smiled at him, and in doing so, made him smile even wider. We locked eyes for a few more seconds, forgetting the situation at hand, until Hercules coughed. Annoyingly, might I add?

"Oh, no, please, continue." He waved his hand in our general direction. "Please, this isn't awkward at all, go on gazing into each other's souls."

"Alright, alright, I see what you're talking about." I nodded, winking at Alex. "Y'all are just jealous, 'cause _my_ girls here with me, not super far away."

"Hey! I'm a grown-man, John." Alex scoffed, tossing his hair flamboyantly over his shoulder.

"Sure, babe."

"John, I'm not jealous," Hercules butted in, clambering across the mess of planks that surrounded us to get closer. "Just grossed out with how ooey-gooey you guys are. All the time."

"All the…?" I started.

"Ooey-gooey?" Alex repeated, lifting his hand at me in a way that said 'I got this babe'.

"Ooey-motherfucking-gooey, Hercules? Bitch, I very recently got together with this man"-He pointed a finger in my direction-"and he could've just died. Now, I want him to know how much he means to me and I will be as 'ooey-gooey' as I damn well please, mmkay? You got me, Herc, or do I need to write Eliza?"

Hercules froze, his dark eyes widening at Alex's little speech. He looked between us both for a breath, then took a deep one himself and sheepishly grinned.

"Alexander, I was kidding, man, I'm sorry." Hercules apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought it'd lighten the mood, but… Seriously, man, I don't care how mushy you guys are."

"Oh. I, uh…" Alexander faltered, looking to me for help.

"He's just wound up, Hercules, it's been a long, painful in some cases, day."

I could vaguely see Hercules' shape cautiously step in behind Alex, staying extra aware of where he was walking. He knelt down beside Alex, right when a burst of suffocation hit me. I gagged for a moment, then dry-heaved, then coughed for roughly a few minutes. Multiple gross things like phlegm, and a small splinter almost the size of my thumb nail, flew from my throat as I unwillingly tried to throw up. Alex rubbed my back while I leaned on my side, still half-lying on the ground. The pain in my legs and side had mostly subsided, but I wasn't willing to try standing up at this point.

"I'm okay… I'm okay." I croaked, coughing up a tiny pocket of dry air. Alex shook his head, his wide-brown eyes getting the best of me. "Okay… Maybe, I'm not fine."

"What the hell is this place?" Hercules mumbled as he stood, taking in the room for himself. His eyes halted at the line of barrels. "Damn brother, and his stupid drinking problems."

"Ugh, right now he's more of a godsend." I groggily corrected. "Herc, pop one open and grab me a cup, will ya? My throat is too damn dry."

He nodded, walking around the trash pile I was a part of and grabbing a knife from the table in the corner. He quickly made his way back to one of the barrels, making sure not to fall. He raised it high above his head, bringing it down with all of his strength. A sharp _crack_ echoed through the room, eliciting a wince from all of us on behalf of our ears. Herc eagerly began to lift the lid off, dropping the knife on the floor few feet from him. His fast-paced movements ceased abruptly once the lid was half-off, the sounds from the hassle of opening the barrel silenced.

"Uh… Guys, this is no booze."

 **A/N: Oh my god,** **I am so sorry, you guys. I know, I haven't updated in forever, but I've been trying. Something really big happened in my personal life and writing took the back burner. I have no clue how my updates are going to be, but I'm going to try. My depression is getting even worse, my motivation is basically nonexistent, but I wanted to get this chapter up so I could let you know WHY I haven't updated in forever.**

 **My Mum died. In May, 16 days after my 17th birthday. I was there, I had to do CPR, it was incredibly traumatic, and I lost my motivation for everything after that. I also had to move, which was a whole thing, and I completely forgot about my fanfics. My therapist has told me, though, that that is normal. That I need to try and do the thing that used to make me happy. So... I'm back. I don't know how often I'll update, but I will try my damnedest to write and update as much as I can mentally handle. Thank you all so much for liking this story, for following it, for reviewing it, you guys have brightened my life so much. I still get PMs that tell me how good my work is and how they can't wait until I update, and that makes me so happy knowing that people love my work so much that they message me to say so and to ask when they can have more. Please, don't give up on this story, I'm really going to try hard to keep it going. I love you all so much, and thank you for all of your support!**

 **thatwritermadeofpotatoes**


	12. A Child's Toy

"I'll stay right here, babe, you've got this." Alexander encouraged, looping his left arm with mine and wrapping his other one around my shoulder. He was half-crouched behind me, helping me stand up.

My legs still felt vaguely numb, but the shock from the fall had lessened. I tiredly began to heave myself upwards, grateful for Alex's help.

"Seriously, I don't wanna touch this, so you guys have to come over here." Hercules repeated for the fifth time, inching away from the half-open barrel.

"Alright, Herc, we heard you the first time." I grunted, shakily standing on my feet. Alexander stood with me, making sure I was steady enough to walk.

"Why can't you just tell us, Hercules? John is injured, and you want us to walk _eight feet._ Not okay." Alex complained, snaking his right arm around my waist and pulling my left arm around his shoulders.

"I… No, I can't say it out loud." Hercules murmured, stepping away from the container and leaning against the nearest wall.

"Alex, go look, I can stand for a moment." I encouraged, my strength steadily coming back to me. My leg still hurt like hell, but the shocks worn off for the most part. I straightened my back a bit, and reassuringly smiled at my boyfriend. "Go."

He stared at me for a second, silently asking for more assent. I nodded my head, and he grinned before gently letting go of me and taking his arm off my shoulders. He took a step forward, keeping an eye on me while he walked backwards towards Hercules.

"I got you, man." Hercules bumped Alex's back with his elbow, and steered him in the direction of the barrel. Alex kept his sights on me, his eyes never leaving mine as he reached his hands behind him. He blindly felt for the top of the barrel, refusing to turn away from me.

"Alexander Hamilton, turn around before you break something." I ordered, internally giggling at his actions. He sighed, and grinned at me before turning to the wooden vat.

Hercules watched as Alex put his hands over the partially moved lid, and grimaced as Alex lifted it off. Alexander gasped, dropping the lid in shock. It clattered to the ground with a deep and resounding _thud_.

"Alexander? Babe, what is it?" I quickly inquired, slowly limping towards him.

Hercules groaned, covering his eyes and turning his head away from Alexander and the barrel. Alex didn't move an inch, he was completely still as he looked into the drum. I came around his side, my arm shooting out and grabbing his right hand.

"Alex?" I looked at his face, my lips parting at his look.

He was drastically pale, and his pupils insanely dilated. His lips were open in a disgusted way, like he just ate his least favorite food, but couldn't spit it out. His nostrils were slightly flared, like they get when he's scared.

I kept my eyes on him for a breath, debating whether I should look at the barrel or not.

I closed my eyes, and swallowed any fears.

"John, don't." Hercules warned, and I glanced to my left to see him kneeling on the ground. His back was against the wall, and he looked far too pale.

"Why? What is it?" I breathed, staring at him. He opened his mouth to reply, but his eyes slammed shut and he began to gag.

"O… Oh, god, John." He stammered between dry heaves.

I gulped, wanting to heed his warnings, but also wanting to see whatever the hell just made the bravest man I know act like this. Alexander was still frozen, peering into the barrel.

"I'm going to look, Alex." I whispered to him, and saw the slightest shake of his head.

Another gulp, another hard blink, and I moved my head.

First thought? Immediate regret.

Piled at the top of it, were bloody cloths. Underneath that, and visible to anyone that opened the barrel, was what looked to be rotted flesh. I couldn't tell from what, whether it be animal or man, but the smell alone made me not want to get any closer. It was cut into squares, about the size of my hand, and organized in a triangular pattern. It spiraled down into the depths of the tub, I could see the varying degrees of rottenness as it went lower. My stomach leapt into my throat, and I coughed whilst trying to swallow it.

"What… Oh, god, why?" Alex whimpered, grasping my left hand with his clammy fingers.

I barely registered what he said, I was too wrapped up in whatever the hell I was looking at. I swayed forward, trying to understand what was in front of me. Aside from the cuts of flesh, there were other items thrown in with them.

My head tilted, as my mind tried to formulate a response as to what the objects were. One was a vague oval-ish thing, with something coming off the sides. What the hell… Are those maybe… small arms?

Oh, my god. It's a doll.

"That's a child's toy." I mumbled, reaching out to pick it up.

"John, no!" Alex unfroze, using his left arm to stop my right hand from venturing into the bin. "We don't… We don't know what this is, we shouldn't… God, please don't touch it."

I glanced at him, before my eyes shifted back to the object at hand.

"Alex, it's a play toy. Do you think...Oh, god, do you think that this, I don't even… do you think this skin belonged to..."

"A child?" Hercules finished for me, his figure shakily keeled over and dry-heaving.

"No… No, oh my god, no…" Alex tightened his grip on my hand, and stumbled backwards. He caught himself, pushing himself forward and towards me until his head was buried in between my shoulder blades. I focused on his labored breaths, in an effort to not throw up.

My eyes, as well as my thoughts were still attached to the contents of the barrel. Where did the… the _skin squares_ come from?

Why are… why is there… _skin anything, for that matter?_

"John, listen." Hercules furrowed his brows, his head falling back to exame the ceiling. A light thudding was emanating from somewhere upstairs… the front door, maybe?

"Somebody's knocking." Alex croaked, abandoning his hiding spot in my back.

"Be quiet!" Hercules hissed, waving hand at us. We all focused on the incessant taps, and Hercules steadily stood up from his kneeling position. Standing evenly on his feet, he stayed still as he intently listened. He turned his head, facing his ear upwards to catch more sound from above. The visitor spoke suddenly, in hushed tones, either to himself or to a companion. We all strained to hear what they were saying, but the combined sounds of our pounding hearts and shaky breaths interfered too much.

I snuck towards Herc, and held Alex's hand so we were trailing along together. His hands were even clammier than before, and they had a slight shake to them now. I squeezed his hand, attempting to bring him some sort of comfort. He was close to me, his hand in mine and his chin hovering directly behind my right shoulder. I crept closer to Hercules, wanting to conceive a plan before the visitor had any bright ideas. We have no clue if this is a friend or foe, and considering the fact that we're in Ireland and have already met several foes, I don't want to take any chances. The worst thing I can imagine them doing if nobody answers, is them breaking into the house to find us. Or whatever else they were looking for, if they are foe and they need certain papers or something that Hugh had.

My thoughts raced as we quietly eased towards Hercules, who was less than five feet away now. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, but they leapt up at the sudden tugging on my hand. I peered over my shoulder to see Alex's face, eyes wide with fear and lower lip trembling. He craned his neck and came closer to me, his warm breath tickling my ear.

"I can't do this, Laurens! What if we all go down in one fell swoop, huh? And I haven't even done a quarter of what I planned to do in this world! I need to write everything down... I need to let the people know what I wanted to do. I need to leave a legacy!" Alex rattled on, hyperventilating, his frantic whisper quickly rising.

"Alexander, pull yourself together." I commanded, my breath barely a whisper. "We'll get out of this, we'll all get out of this together, and it'll be fine!"

"John, leave him, he'll be okay." Hercules ordered, waving me forward. I looked between him and Alex, trying to pick a side. On one hand, Alex gets loud when he's scared or panicking. On the other, Hercules will kick my ass if I don't go up with him. I shook my head at Alex, and left my place next to him to move next to Herc.

"Mulligan, how can you be calm right now?! You're going to die and Eliza won't even know, because if they manage to kill you, John and I have probably been dead for a while!" Alex gasped, his eyes erratically scanning the room and his breaths desperately trying to catch up with him.

"Alexander, shush!" I barked, forgetting to remain quiet. I stilled, scouting the ceiling for any signs of movement. A footstep, a door opening, a voice asking if anybody else heard that, anything. I heard nothing, and that worsened my worries.

"They definitely heard you, now we just have to wait and see if they do anything about it." Hercules grimaced, receding into the darker part of the room.

As he receded into the shadows, Alex tugged my hand and pulled me back into the dark. We all watched the hole in anticipation, hoping for the best. The best meaning them leaving and us living to see another horror-crammed day.

 _Creak. Slam._

"Shit." Hercules breathed, rubbing his face with his right hand in frustration. My and Alex's jaws had dropped at the sound of the door opening and closing. "Let's hope they fall through the floor and the impact kills them."

I braced, readying myself just in case they came in and tried to attack. There were several ways this could play out: They see us and shoot through the hole, they see us and run away in fear (crossing my fingers for this one), and they fall through the hole and die.

And then there's always the option that it'll play out in their favor. They could fall through the hole, land safely because they probably have training, and kill us all.

Alexander tensed, and I could see him mentally preparing to kick some ass. Hercules was taking deep breaths, and repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists. We had nothing but a few broken wooden boards and… skin squares, not really the best weapon arsenal in this situation.

"We're so screwed." I mumbled, my face involuntarily screwing up. I _hated_ not having an idea of how a situation was going to go. "I love you guys."

"We love you, too." Alex lowly answered. He squeezed my shoulder, and Hercules nodded at me. I smiled at them, and steadily inhaled.

Let's do this.

 **A/N: Oh my god, thank you so much, you guys. I've gotten overwhelming support from my readers, and so many extremely kind reviews. I am so grateful for all of my readers and reviewers, you guys are helping to keep me going. I know, I know, this chapter was a bit darker than usual, that's due to my recent feelings. It actually came out a lot lighter than I thought it would, totally thought it was gonna end up a hell of a lot heavier than this *shrug*. I'm just glad I was able to update as soon as I could, I know how much you guys have wanted me to update this story:) Thank you, reviewers, for telling me to take my time, and that I didn't HAVE to update soon. It really helped, I usually try to finish my chapters as quickly as possible, because so many people tell me to update fast or more often. But it was nice taking my time, and making sure the quality of the chapter was pretty darn good before posting it.**

 **Okay, this is super long, I'm gonna sign off! Again, thank you for your support, it means a ton to me, and don't forget to follow/favorite and review!**

 **thatwritermadeofpotatoes**


	13. The Arrival

**A/N: Hey, slight note before we start the chapter, I need to thank guest reviewers! BeeBunny54, Maddie2276, And Peggy, Hi- Thank you so much you guys! It means the world to me when y'all review, either as a guest or signed in. :) Alright, on with it!**

"…Hello?" A moderately deep voice softly called out from the front of the house.

We all were braced, ready for anything, hidden in the safety of the shadows. Hercules had stopped taking deep breaths, opting instead for eerily silent breathing through his nose.

Alex was trembling, just the tiniest bit, but enough to have me worry. More about him or the situation, I can't say.

Everything's pretty damn tense right now, if you haven't noticed.

The sound of a footfall caught my attention, and I glanced at the guys to make sure they heard it, too. Hercules had his head angled upwards, directly looking through the ceiling hole. All we could really see was the kitchen ceiling, and a few cabinets, so the intruder would have to lean over the hole a bit before we'd spot him. God, I really hope he isn't strong.

Or tall; Or aggressive.

I tapped Alex on his shoulder, and gave a hopeful smile when he turned around. His eyes were full of dread, but he returned the smile with minor hesitation.

"…I know that somebody is here." The voice spoke again, and I'm assuming he's in the kitchen because his voice just got really clear. If he were in any other room, he'd be bit muffled, but we could hear him perfectly. "I've been watching through the windows."

Hercules whipped around, staring right into my eyes. "Damn, who the hell is this guy?" He mouthed, his face creasing in confusion.

I shook my head; we all knew the exact same amount of information on our new guest. The magic number is… you guessed it, zero.

"Please, just show yourself." The voice grunted, and the footsteps began to inch further into the kitchen. He sounded… pained, almost.

Was he injured? Is that why he's broken in? To find medical assistance, maybe, or to just die in some minimally safe place. No, he said that he'd been watching through the window… the kitchen window? It's been at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half, since I fell and we all ended up down here. Had he seen me fall? No, I wasn't visible to the outside where I had fallen.

Wait, the guys, they had run out of the house to find the cellar entrance. Maybe the intruder had seen them come down and decided it was safe enough to come in upstairs? I don't know, but I really don't want to find out; I just want to make it out of this whole thing alive.

"Should one of us say something?" Alex faintly whispered, eyes flicking between Herc and I. I turned my head to Herc, asking for permission to speak.

He hesitated for a second, before closing his eyes and gave a quick nod of his head.

"What is your name?" I raised my voice, staring through the ceiling and hoping for them to come into sight.

The footsteps ceased, and I could hear the slightest labored breathing. I waited for an answer, but after being silent for nearly an entire minute, I couldn't wait any longer.

"I said, what is your name?" I repeated, louder this time in hopes that they just didn't hear me the first time. "And why are you here?"

A heartbeat passed, the three of us taking deep breaths.

"I am here for Hercules." The voice replied, his low voice suddenly a pitch higher. Had we scared him by answering?

"Why?" I inquired, curious as to what business they had with him. Were they a friend, or a disguised enemy? So many questions, and not nearly enough answers.

"He is important to me." The voice had become deeper again, with a touch of gravel. Why the hell was their voice changing? Unless…

"Are you a man?" Hercules deepened his voice, just in case he knew the person in a bad way. He voiced my thoughts exactly, and I was curious as to the answer.

The speaker said nothing, just stood for a minute in silence.

"I will not repeat my question." Hercules mentioned, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows. He placed his hands on his hips in exasperation. "I need to know."

"… Yes." The voice said, this time sounding suspiciously like a woman disguising her voice.

"Right. One moment while we convene, _sir._ " He held up his hand, pointing across the room to the door. Alexander and I nodded, and began to quietly make our way towards it. Hercules followed behind, keeping an eye on the hole just in case the trespasser looked in.

We snuck out the door, careful to be gentle when we closed it. We hurried around the house, stopping at the porch.

"We're just gonna go straight in, no planning?" Alex questioned, answered with nods from Hercules and I. 'Alright, then one of you goes first."

"I'll do it." Herc offered, already sneaking up the front steps.

Alex and I followed as silently as we could, and the three of us managed to get into the house. Hopefully, without alerting the 'man' in the kitchen. We heard a gasp as we were passing through the living room, and froze.

"Maybe they saw the hole?" Alex suggested under his breath. I nodded in acknowledgement, hoping the hole was the reason, and not something like they heard us come in. I'd be relieved if we entered the kitchen and they had left through the window, but also pissed that we hadn't found out who it was.

My doubts were cast aside as we crouched in the living room, awkwardly crouch-walking towards the kitchen. Reaching the doorway, I almost audibly exhaled when I saw the visitor was still here.

They were standing a foot away from the gap in the floor, peering down into it. I could see that they had a hand covering their mouth, and their other hand was tightly gripping their sleeve. They were dressed in super baggy clothes, a too-big white dress shirt and some soldier-looking pants that had been rolled at the waist. The pant bottoms had been tucked into black boots that fit the wearer perfectly, the only piece of the outfit that looked even remotely like the owner's.

Aside from the ill-fitting attire, they had a droopy hat, made from some brown material. It covered their hair completely, making it impossible for us to see whether it was female or not. It kinda looked like Herc's favorite hat wear… Oh, yeah, that's definitely a beanie. One that looked a hell of a lot like the one that Hercules was wearing right now.

Hercules turned his head back, eyes meeting mine. We both had the same thought; who the hell is this person?

"Hey." Alex started, startling the rest of us, who had grown accustomed to silence in the past few minutes of silence.

I whipped around and smacked him on his shoulder, garnering a yelp from him. The person spun so fast they almost fell into the floor crevasse, and their eyes blew wide open when they saw us. Ours did too, once we realized who we were face to face with.

"E… Elizabeth?" Hercules breathed, tears forming.

 **A/N: It's an update! YAAYYYY! I'm so happy I could finish this sooner than expected, I really hope you guys liked it. :) Things have been emotionally hectic on my end, but they're steadily beginning to calm down. I want to thank all the readers that have reviewed this story, we're nearing ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! :D That is incredibly exciting and I can't wait to see where we go with this. Please, please, please review/follow/favorite if you liked it! And if you didn't, that's cool, this story might just not be your cup of tea *shrug* I cannot believe the amount of people that actually like this story and keep up with it, it's insane. I'm working on chapter 14 right now, so that might be out in less than a week or so! :)**

 **Thank you so much guys,**

 **thatwritermadeofpotatoes**


	14. Dark Deeds

"E… Elizabeth?" Hercules breathed, tears forming.

She shakily nodded, her hands reaching up to slowly drag the beanie off of her head. It fell with a single movement, and she held it in her trembling hands. Her hair fell in a cascade, her dark locks contrasting against her white dress shirt and tan pants. Her black hair fell onto her shoulders, going down a few inches and stopping mid-stomach. Hair had fallen onto her face, covering her left eye and causing her to look emotionally deranged.

She sniffled, and we all jumped into action. Hercules rushed forward, gathering her in his arms and whispering in her ear. Her sobs lessened as they held each other, and Alex and I hung back for a moment to give the couple space. Her arms had snaked around Herc's neck, and they stood clinging to each other. It was very reminiscent of their last emotional reunion, and I bit back tears as my friends exchanged quiet 'I love you's. Alex had found my hand in the commotion, interlocking his shaky fingers with mine.

I smiled at the gesture, if only to frown at his response. He tugged my hand, and pulled me back into the living room with him. We could no longer see Herc and Eliza, but I think that's what he wanted. His face was set in a grimace, and I tilted my head in confusion and worry.

"Alex, hon, what's wrong?" I softly murmured, careful not to be loud enough for the others to hear. "Are you okay?"

"No." He fervently responded, matching my quiet tone, though adding passion to it. "John, what about the… the cellar, John. What do we do now that Eliza's here? We can't fucking show her the gruesome things, but we can't lie about something of that scale, what if the situation becomes dangerous? She can't get hurt, John. She can't."

Oh my god, how could I forget about the damn cellar…?

"No, I know, Alex, and she won't." I shook my head, formulating a response. "I… I don't know what to do now that she's in the mix. She's family, I don't want her wrapped up this as much as you."

"This changes it. Our whole plan, it's useless." Alex continued. "I am not risking Herc and Eliza's future for revenge, or answers, or whatever the hell we were hoping to get out of this trip."

I reluctantly nodded; I didn't want to endanger our friends, but I had wanted to find Hugh's murderer. I guess that hits the back burner until it's safer, and we have more of a constructed plan, and less spontaneous visitors.

"Guys?" Hercules called, his voice carrying from the kitchen. "Come here."

Alexander and I exchanged looks, curious as to what our friend had to say. I led us back into the kitchen, and sat down at the table. Alex took his place standing behind me and wrapped his arms around my neck, resting his chin on top of my head. Hercules was leaning his back against the counter, his hands grasping the edge of the surface. Eliza sat across from me, her fingers interlocked and nervously fiddling with each other. Her eyes were stuck to her fidgeting hands, and Hercules had glued his eyes to the floor the second we came in.

"Is… Is everything okay, Eliza?" Alex piped up, breaking the tension-filled silence.

Her head steadily rose, her deep mocha eyes meeting mine. Thick lines left by tears had dried on her rosy cheeks, the sight making my heart clench. I hated not knowing whether they were happy tears, from seeing Hercules, or sad tears, from something yet to be revealed.

"Everything is… not okay, Alexander." She quietly replied, maintaining eye contact for a few seconds before sobs began to wrack her body. She put her hand over her mouth, and covered her heart with her free hand.

"Oh, no, no, 'Liza, I'm sorry, don't cry…" Alex hurried around the table, wrapping his arms around Eliza' shoulders and muttering apologies into her hair. They held each other for a moment, me and Hercules hanging back to give them space.

"Alex, they… they came to the house." She sniffled, pulling away and firmly gripping Alex's sleeves. "My house. They were inside my home, Alexander. They could've… Oh god, I could've been killed."

With that she fell into more sobs, curling into Alex's chest. Hercules looked over them at me, giving a slight nod to indicate that we were to talk about it once Eliza was settled and safe.

"It… it was awful. I didn't think I was even going to survive it." She choked, her breath hitching. "Who did that, Alexander, do you know?"

She took a deep breath, halting her sobs for a moment to look at her ex-husband's worried face.

"No, no, I have no clue, Eliza." He quickly answered after a moment of pure what-the-hell-do-I-say.

"Thankfully," She continued. "Peggy was visiting later that day, and decided to come earlier than planned. She managed to fend them off by herself, all those fighting moves she's learned from watching you all spar paid off. I've never felt so… helpless."

"Eliza," Alex pulled her back into a hug, cupping the back of her head with his hand. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. I can't even imagine how scared you must've been."

As her light sobs subsided, Hercules stepped closer to take her from Alex's arms.

"Love," Hercules whispered, turning her around and pulling her close. "I'm so sorry we weren't there. I should've had soldiers keeping an eye on the house, it's my fault they went after you, Eliza. I… I understand if you can't forgive me."

She froze in his arms, and he reluctantly unwrapped his arms from around her. She looked at him with tiny orbs of water gathering in her eyes.

"Wha…. Hercules Mulligan, of course I can forgive you." She whispered, raising her hands to gently encompass his face. "I don't een nee to, though, because it's not your fault. It's never your fault, it's the fault of the person making the decision to hurt you. I love you, Hercules Schuyler."

He sniffed, a watery laugh escaping his lips. "I love you, too, Elizabeth Mulligan."

"Hey, uh, guys?" I broke in, albeit reluctantly. "I'm sorry, but we need a plan now that Eliza is here. What're we gonna do?"

"Go home. We're gonna go home, and I'm going to forget about this. Al the crap Hugh got himself into, that's buried with him." Hercules somberly nodded, still as he spoke.

"Darling…" Eliza began.

"No. This is too much, and I can't risk you being in anymore danger than you've already been in." He firmly stated, staring into her worried eyes.

She was at a loss for words, as was Alex and I. "Hercules, are you sure? I can handle it, plus, this is something that Hugh was a part of. Don't you want to figure out who else is in it?"

As Eliza attempted to convince him, Alex and I kept sending looks to one another. Looks that warned telling Eliza of the truth; the dark deeds currently hidden below the floorboards we stood on.

How the hell are we gonna fix this mess?

 **A/N: Oh, uhm, hi, guys. *awkwardly waves* Okay, so, I've been gone for a reaaaalllllyyyyy long time, sorry, but school and life have teamed up to make my time a mess and miserable. Ending this chapter was the first writing I've done in literal MONTHS. I really need to thank HufflepuffBook-Keeper, they asked me to beta for them and that kick-started me writing again, yaaaay! So, thank you so much for sticking with me if you're still interested in this story and willing to deal with my crazy update schedule. I appreciate every single person who reads/favorites/comments and every person who just reads it, you know? Even if you don't leave a review (even though they motivate me a TON), I still appreciate that you opened my story and gave it a shot. Thank you so much, guys, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! (Also I know this is a suuuuper short chapter, but bear with me, I'm giving myself a bit of a mental break, I've got midterms next week and I'm internally/emotionally dying.)**


	15. Going Home

"Darling, what is that?" Alex murmured into my neck, his warm breath tickling me awake. I took a deep breath, my eyes opening to darkness emanating from the bedroom window. _Why is he up so late?_

"What's wha-" I started, but a loud knock echoing from the front door interrupted me. I quickly sat up, throwing the blankets off us and darting to the bedroom door.

Alex stumbled after me, and we quietly snuck down the hall to Herc and Eliza's room. I gently rapped on the door, relieved to hear them getting up. We need to be ready for anything.

"Guys? What's wrong?" Hercules opened the door, tiredly leaning on the doorframe, Eliza shuffling over beside him.

"Someone is at the door. And they're not being discrete about it." Alex yawned, shaking his head to wake himself up more.

Herc's eyes widened, and he gestured for Eliza to stay in the room, which she understood immediately. He stepped into the hall, and she shut the door. The three of us, all still clad in our pajamas, lined up against the wall and stealthily slid along it until coming to the staircase.

Alex gestured for him to go first, and me to follow, while Hercules would go down the opposite side of the stairs and hide beside the front door. We executed our moves, with Herc ending up next to the door and Alex and I crouched on the other side. We all froze as we heard a deep sigh, and three more heavy-handed knocks were laid against the wooden barrier.

"I heard you all moving, you idiots." Angelicas voice stated, her agitated tone making us laugh.

Herc straightened up and quickly swung the door open to reveal a very relieved, and _very_ pissed Schuyler sister.

"Miss me?" She quirked an eyebrow as we watched her confidently step into the house.

I spoke first, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Of course, Ange, but… Why are you here? I mean, I know you're here because Eliza told us you both came to find us, but why? We're soldiers, Ange, we can take care of ourselves."

She humphed at that, but before she could answer, another voice rung out. "Angelica! I told you I'd be fine coming on my own, you should've stayed in the inn."

Eliza stood with a playful glare and crossed arms, and Ange copied her stance before the two broke into giggles.

"Honestly, love, I knew you'd be fine but I needed to see the boys." She turned away from her sister to sigh at Hercules. "And talk to Hercules."

Eliza tilted her head at that, but said nothing. Hercules, however, looked like a deer caught in a forest fire. His deep chocolate eyes went wide, but he didn't protest when Angelica waved him into the other room. While they went to speak alone, Eliza stood with Alex and me in the kitchen.

"What's that about?" I questioned her, as we all sat at the small round table.

She shrugged, worriedly glancing towards the doorway. "I'm not sure, but that was her serious voice. She only uses that when she has a super strong opinion about how something should go."

"She's probably just worried about what Herc is getting you into, 'Liza, it's her job as a big sister." Alex piped in, resting his elbows on the table surface.

"Maybe so, but she'd usually just scold him in front of you guys." She wrinkled her nose in confusion. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"Eliza." Hercules had come back, and stood in the door frame with a somber look.

"Dear? What's wrong?" She rose from her seat, going to take his hands in hers. He squeezed her hands in reassurance before taking a deep breath and replying.

"I'm taking you home." Eliza's eyes widened at his words. "And I'm going to stay with you. I'm done, love, I'm not staying here."

"Wha—Are you sure? It's your brother, Hercules, I completely understand if—"

"No, you're more important than my dead brother. You're still alive, I can still protect you and love you." Herc quietly said to her. "We're going home, Eliza."

"I'm going to take you home on a ship run by an old friend of dad, I'll be heading back to London as soon as you two settle in." Ange added, turning from the group to head to the front door.

"So that's it? You just show up and take him?" Alex uttered, his righteousness getting the best of him. He gritted his teeth as he stood from his chair, watching Ange's back.

Angelica spun on him, her anger flaring up at his unprompted outburst. She took two long steps to him, stopping a few inches from his face. "I'm taking them, no arguments, because this is a stupidly dangerous situation and I won't let my sister lose another man she loves."

Alex's breath hitched, and he lowered his head. He slowly nodded at her and she raised her chin in victory. Eliza and Herc had been watching from beside the kitchen's doorway, and they each threw little waves to us.

"We'll write, and be sure to come home to us safely, okay?" Eliza softly asked of us. Alex and I quietly agreed with a nod of our heads.

Ange went to the door and opened it, looking into the black of the night before waving Hercules and Eliza over.

The two lovers looked at us with small smiles, smiles full of hope that we'd come home alive, and they followed the eldest Schuyler sister through the door.

It shut with a soft _click_ and it was then that the situation hit Alex and me. We're alone, just the two of us, in a strange town. With a barrel full of skin. With a murderer out there.

And with that thought, we too had small smiles full of hope that we'd get home alive.

 **/**

After the trio had left and we realized it was still the middle of the night, Alex and I went back to bed. It took a bit to fall asleep, what after the whole 'Ange is taking our strongest helper and his girl back to New York', but we eventually passed out in each other's arms.

Waking up the morning after that whole debacle was strange; not hearing Herc and Eliza laughing with each other, or cooking together. It gave a sense of loneliness, even though Alex and I still had each other.

"What're we going to do now that he's gone? Herc knew most of Hugh's friends, and this town. He was like our person to ask about stuff." Alex started, grabbing two apples from one of the kitchen cabinets. "Where do we even go from here?"

"I'm not sure, Alex, I guess we find someone else to help us." I suggested, filling a glass with water.

"Why don't we head into town today, then?" He sat at the table, and I took a spot across from him. "Scope the people out, see if there's anyone reliable enough and sketchy enough to help two strangers with a murder scene in their basement."

"Okay, joking about the basement situation isn't helping." I lightly chuckled, reaching over and holding his free hand. He passed me one of the apples and then grabbed his own off the table. He brought his apple up to his mouth, taking a huge bite before speaking.

"I jush think we should find shomeone shoon." He said through a mouthful. I amusedly nodded, considering how we could find someone willing to discretely deal with our… predicament.

"Then it's decided." I declared, raising my apple to Alex. "We head into town this afternoon to find a new revolutionary to help."

And with that, we ate.

 **A/N: Holy hell, hey, guys. Crazy last few months, uh, completely couldn't write due to a lot of factors but hey! I'm back! I'm working full-force on this story now, and hopefully gonna update some of my other chapter stories this summer. Thanks for being so patient, and thank you for all the reviews! They definitely helped me a lot. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review!:D**


	16. A New Friend

"What about him? He looks mildly sketchy and reliable." Alex whispered in my left ear, subtly pointing at a guy lingering beside a wastebasket on the street corner.

"Uh, no, he looks like a serial killer, Alex." I shook my head, ignoring his offended scoff, and glanced around the road for other candidates.

"What about him?" He raised his chin towards a gentleman standing thirty feet or so away from us and smoking a comically large cigar. He was shrouded in a thick cloud of suffocating smoke; disgusting.

"Bleugh, I hate smokers." I countered with a grimace. I lightly groaned, annoyed with how surprisingly hard it is to find a trust-worthy looking sketchy person in such a mix of a town. Alex kept his eyes trained on the wandering figures among us on the street, while I switched between looking at him and the women occasionally walking by watching him with bashful looks and batting lashes.

"Who're we looking for?" A deep voice mumbled from behind us.

Alex and I jumped, spinning on our heels to face the speaker, our eyes wide and our brows high. A somewhat pudgy man stood in front of us, a dirtied badge pinned to his blue jacket. I exchanged looks with Alex before nodding in agreement that I'd be the first to speak. I parted my lips to respon—

"None of your business, that's who." Alex replied, bursting my bubble. _Damn it, babe._

"Oh, so you're not looking for someone to be a part of some secret, sketchy operation for the revolution?" He interrogated, raising a brow at our surprised faces.

"Uh, how did yo—" Alex shook his head in confusion.

"You two have been bickering for the last fifteen minutes about it, and not very discretely looking for a fellow to help you." The newcomer filled in.

I glanced at Alex and we both had looks of 'are-we-really-that-obvious' etched on our faces. I scratched the back of my neck and heavily sighed.

"Alright, we're looking for a helper. What of it?" I raised a brow, trying my best to look nonchalant. The man lazily raised a bushy eyebrow and gave a slow shrug.

"Eh, nothing, I guess. Just kinda curious as to what you two Americans are doing here, talkin' about some covert operation. Seems… suspicious." He looked us over with his dark green eyes, squinting in wary distrust.

"Well, you sound American as well, so we could ask you vaguely the same thing." Alex rebutted, smugly grinning at his comeback.

God, I need to question my taste in men.

"Alex." He turned to me, and I shook my head with a done look on my face. I turned to the other man, and he was watching us with curiosity. "Who exactly are you?"

He quietly chuckled, sticking his hand out for a shake. "I'm Richard Dockens, a friend of the late Hugh Mulligan, who I believe you're here to help."

I furrowed my brows, and saw Alex do the same. "How did you know we—"

"I've been watching you since you docked, boys." He sheepily admitted with a knowing smile. "Hugh told me a few months ago to keep an eye out for fellow Americans, he said he needed me to help 'em out with some under-the-table revolution stuff."

I slowly reached my hand out to grasp his as he continued, Alex and I listening in silent awe. "I assumed it was to transport weapons or something else to New York, but he wouldn't give me any more info. Said I'd be safer the less I knew. Next thing, a few months later, I stop hearing from him. Popped by his house a few days ago and saw you guys going in. I watched through the window and saw…"-He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and took a breath—"saw one of my closest friends lying in his own blood."

I solemnly nodded, remembering the night we found Hugh. I watched Alex as he wrinkled his nose in distaste as he flashed back to the discovery in his own mind.

"I want to help. Hugh and I smuggled together, fought together." Richard gruffly stated. "We grew up damn near brothers. Y'all see this?"

He pointed to the dirt-laden badge stuck to his coat and rubbed a thumb over it to clear it off. In rusted copper, I could sort of make out a short phrase; Scouts Force.

"Scouts Force? What, like the Boy Scouts thing that keeps showing up in the papers? The 'American Boys' kind of group?" Alex questioned, squinting his eyes and tilting his head like a curious dog.

"Lord, no, it wasn't _that_ patriotic. Hugh and I used to have this friend, Scout was his name, and he made up this little force with the three of us." Richard amusedly explained. "It was just a thing of our boyhood, but as we got older and joined actual forces to fight the wars of our fathers' generation, we kept them as a unity sorta thing. To remember each other if anything happened to one of us."

I bobbed my head, understanding the want to keep your friends' memories alive, even if something happened to them.

"So, then…" I scratched the back of my neck. "Join the team?"

Alex nodded in agreement, glancing at Richard. "Sir?"

The man grinned and enthusiastically shook both our hands.

"Let's catch a murderer, boys."

/ / / /

"I can't believe Herc was so into poetry!" I laughed, nearly choking on the half slice of toast in my mouth.

Richard banged his fist on the table, laughing himself into a fit. "God, he never left home without his diary!"

Alex couldn't even form words; he was folded into himself on his chair, wheezing into his arm. I patted him on the back, trying to squander my own hysteria.

"We used to," Richard wheezed, chuckling. "We used to gather at the riverside, and he'd shush us 'til we quieted down. We'd sit there for _hours_ , just so he could read us his poems."

"That was awful kind of you guys." Alex pointed out, pursing his lips at me. "John and the guys never want to sit down and go through a few hours of me reading my essays."

I playfully flipped my short hair, scoffing. Alex reciprocated by lifting his nearly-gone coffee and ensuring his middle finger was facing me.

"Ah, we didn't want to the first couple rounds!" Richard heartily confessed. "Hugh ended up sitting us down after Herc went home in a huff since we didn't want to listen. He said that writing gave Herc a special kinda joy, and they were having some issues at home. Told us to be good friends and give in to the poetry readings for the time being."

"Oh, that's noble." I noted, jokingly dipping my head to him. We all somberly laughed, before Alex moved on.

"How about we finish up dinner and make up a plan for our next moves?" He suggested, rising to place his empty mug in the kitchen sink.

Richard grunted as he heaved himself up. "Sounds good."

"Alright, here's what I know so far…" Richard began, and we dove into his information.

After learning of a local pub that soldiers loved to reside in, and the hours that were best for such a thing, we decided that a stakeout would be our best move. Alex and I turned in, after bidding goodnight to Richard and seeing him off. He apparently lived right down the road so we agreed he'd sleep there and then come over around late afternoon tomorrow. I'd been exhausted after the day Alex and I'd had, so bed felt like heaven.

"Why isn't anything else as comfortable as this mattress?" I mumbled, smooshing my face deeper into the abundance of blankets.

We'd originally dropped onto our respectable sides of it, but he was too far. I needed to fix that. I reached my right arm across the vast expanse of the bed, attempting to find Alex's waist. I found it seconds later and gripped him tight, wrapping my arm around him and pulling his closer.

"I think there's something comparable to the comfort." He whispered, snuggling his face into my neck as he curled closer. "Your arms give me the same feeling of comfy and safe."

I grinned at his words, feeling my cheeks begin to turn the color of a ripe strawberry. "I love you, Hamilton."

"Not as much as I love you, Laurens." He contently sighed, relaxing into our tried and true position.

"Sweet dreams, darling." I squeezed his side, relishing in his warmth.

"Sweet dreams, love."

 **A/N: Whoops. Totally, legitimately, forgot about this story and just remembered it a few days ago. I got a notification that someone new had liked/followed it. I am ASTOUNDED by how many reviews this has now, and how many folks enjoy my writing so much. It brings me damn near to tears when I realize that people are still reading my stories and wanting more. I'm truly sorry for not updating in forever, you guys deserve better than this. I'm on Thanksgiving break right now, so I'm doing my best to catch up and update more. Thank you to everyone that's stayed by this story and continues to give support, you have no idea the amount of gratitude I have for you.**

 **I hope y'all have an amazing Thanksgiving, and please read/review!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **thatwritermadeofpotatoes**


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